Unit3d w/ B1G Team at Indiana University

Identity is such a struggle for so many athletes, and many do not know who they are outside of their sport.  Identification with sport can come at a cost, especially when athletes start to look for a direction to go in when their sport is done.  Even when athletes turn pro in their sport, that professional career will end at some point and athletes then will look to what else they can do.  Dr. Bra...

During the months of June, July and early August, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  It's Love:Mark and Kym Hilinski is Ryan Hilinski's pick.  Mark and Kym Hilinski share what’s going on with Hilinsk’'s Hope: the 3 for 3 challenge, Kym climbing mountains, and Mark looking at ways t...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  The Best Version of Me:Teddy Britt is Brian Simmons' pick.  Teddy Britt has a smile that lifts up those around her. Because of that, she used to believe that she always had to smile so that others could benefit...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Thrive or Bust:Ryan Leaf is John Cooke's pick.  Many are familiar with former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf and his story of achieving the dream of being a first round draft pick only to fall hard and become touted...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Sweet Sleep is Graham Doty's pick.  Sleep is so important to our mental health but it is something we often don’t prioritize, especially during stressful times. Getting better sleep is sometimes difficult, and w...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Identity Back on Track is Chelsi Battle's pick.  Dr. Dwight Hollier played in the NFL for 9 years before beginning his career as a mental health professional. Having lined up a career for post-football life, it...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Closing A Chapter is Drew Lombardi's pick.  Throughout our life we all experience a number of transitions.  Closing the chapter of playing collegiate sports can bring up identity struggles for many, as well as a...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Get Your Bounce Back is Aidan Lombardi's pick.  We all seem to agree that resilience is an important trait to have as an athlete, but few can say exactly what resilience is or how to build it.  We know that boun...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Authentic Storytelling:Nia Symone is Josie Nicholson's pick.  Nia Symone knew from an early age that she wanted to be involved in entertainment and sports media.  She pursued a communications degree while playin...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  The Magic Portal is Mark Hilinski's pick.  At the end of a season many athletes decide they need a change and enter the transfer portal.  Established in 2018, the portal became much more popular when, in 2021, t...

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break.  We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time.  Touch the Grass:Mike Golic Jr. is Kym Hilinski's pick. Mike Golic Jr. played football at Notre Dame and after went undrafted as a free agent in the NFL.  He wanted to stay close to the game and has been able to...

This episode wraps up the 22-23 season of Unit3d. To close things out, Mark and Kym Hilinski share what’s going on with Hilinsk’'s Hope: the 3 for 3 challenge, Kym climbing mountains, and Mark looking at ways to bring innovation to the mission of Hilinski’s Hope. They share important messages around healing, finding ways to keep going, and knowing that whatever you are doing to share the message t...

“Be in the moment” is a phrase heard so much in sports, and athletes know the importance of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. But one aspect of being in the moment that is often overlooked is the mentality we can slip in to of waiting until we achieve a certain goal or arrive at a certain point before we allow ourselves to embrace where we are. It can be easy to get caught up in “wa...

Dr. Dwight Hollier played in the NFL for 9 years before beginning his career as a mental health professional. Having lined up a career for post-football life, it seemed like his transition out of sport could have been smooth. His identity, however, was firmly rooted in being a football player. Having a plan for a career after football was helpful, but not having a plan for transitioning his identi...

Sabrina Shaw worked hard and had a lot of success as a goalkeeper and headed in to her college career at Iowa with high expectations of herself. Injuries created a bumpy journey and when she was sidelined she realized she did not know. How to find joy outside of her sport. She had the courage to ask for help and found her way back to herself. During the pandemic she started her own company: Urban...

Brad Robbins has had a lot of success as a punter, but his road has not been without turns and bumps. Experiences with injury in his collegiate career, as well as the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on his mental health, caused him to look for ways to quiet his mind. He took steps to learn about meditation and he developed a practice that has supported his mental health and athletic performance....

The end of each school year brings changes and transitions. Change is certain in our lives but brings about so much uncertainty that it can be difficult to navigate. Dr. Michelle Garvin, sport psychologist for the Detroit Lions discusses changes and transitions, offering insight and tools to help navigate the uncertainties, the challenges, and the opportunities that change brings.

Teddy Britt has a smile that lifts up those around her. Because of that, she used to believe that she always had to smile so that others could benefit from her energy. She has now learned that it's ok to show up authentically, no matter how she is feeling. Teddy joins us at Unit3d and to discuss vulnerability and the advantages of showing up authentically. She also explains that there are times wh...

During her freshman year of college at Duke University, Anna Callahan lost a teammate and close friend, Morgan Rogers. The impact of this loss inspired Anna to let go of fears she had about being herself and stop hiding parts of herself she felt made her different. She began to embrace being an advocate for mental health and helped start Morgan’s Message which now has chapters on close to 1000 hig...

Often tragedy and trauma serve to fuel passion for efforts to change the world. This is the case for Brandon Siler, former NFL player and now entrepreneur. Brandon has experienced the loss of several friends and teammates to mental illness and now works to help support fellow NFLers in many ways, including getting them disability benefits through his company, Legacy Pro Sports and owning a mental...

Mental health campaigns are important vehicles for raising awareness and breaking down stigma.  Sack the Stigma is a collaborative campaign aimed at destigmatizing mental illness among young people, particularly student-athletes. This campaign started at the University of  Michigan, but is gaining traction to make appearances at other universities as a team effort with Hilinski’s Hope during the C...

Muhammad Ali said “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” This powerful quote can send a message to all of us to address challenges that we may see as small or insignificant before they become bigger obstacles in our lives.  Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley is the mental health clinician for the Baltimore Ravens and on this episode of Unit3d she discusses th...

Because we are human, we all have negative emotions.  We often try to ignore or avoid them, or move through them as quickly as possible.  Many times we even judge ourselves for having them.  On this episode of Unit3d, Dr. Rachel Conway, head sport psychologist for Wake Forest Athletics, talks about changing our relationship with negative emotions so that we can work with them rather than run from...

Sleep is a vital foundation to mental health and many athletes struggle to get enough of it.  Dr. Michael Grandner is one of the nation’s top sleep researchers, especially in the area of sleep in athletes.  Sleep is so important to our mental health that this spring we will have a three part series on sleep and how to improve both quality and quantity of sleep to support the health of your body an...

We all have an idea of when we are “off” in our performance, and we work hard to get back on the path to where we want to be.  Mental health is no different.  If we take time to check in with ourselves we can become aware of when we aren’t centered. Mindfulness and other strategies can help us get back on the path, back to our center. Dr. Tess Palmateer, Director of Athlete Mental Health and Perfo...