In this week’s episode, we are joined by Wes Woodson. Wes is a professional public speaker and the founder of thehidden company. His company is a media platform that aims to use the power of storytelling to share experiences and empower everyone to love every part of who they are. As a public speaker, Wes has traveled around the world speaking to students, parents, and teachers about the importance of prioritizing mental health. In this episode, Kat and Wes speak about some of his early childhood experiences dealing with anxiety and feeling different from other kids while also touching on the impact that parents have on their own children. Wes is a wealth of knowledge and we are lucky to have him share his own story on the podcast. Don’t forget to check out his instagram @weswoodson and thehidden company’s @thehiddenco!

This week on The Mental Matchup, we are joined by Chelsi Battle. Chelsi is currently interning at Northwestern University as a Pre-Doctoral Psychology intern and attends Auburn University as a doctoral student in their Counseling Psychology program. Beyond being a student, Chelsi is a Graduate Assistant for Student-Athlete Support Services, a program that helps with the development of skills for student-athletes facing academic challenges. Within the episode, she touches on the nonprofit she created called The Playbook Foundation, which is geared towards mentoring and mental health awareness in minorities. Chelsi plans to pursue a career in sports psychology after graduating and we cannot wait to watch her impact, countless athletes, at the collegiate and professional levels. We are so lucky to have Chelsi share her own experiences and research with us!

We are lucky to have Sarah Fischer join us for this week’s episode. Sarah is a professional dancer living and working in New York City. Throughout the episode, we dive into many different topics including an athlete’s relationship with their body, the constant strive for perfection, and the impact that injury has on a career. She also teaches us more about the world of dance and what goes into becoming a professional dancer. The lessons that Sarah talks about in this episode can be applied to any athlete playing any sport, not just dance. She shares her own story and is a great resource for anyone else experiencing a similar journey or mental health obstacle. Thank you for sharing your story with us Sarah!

In this episode, Kat is joined by Reid Meyer. Reid is a former collegiate baseball player and the founder of a program called Athletes to Athletes (A2A). Due to Reid’s own college recruitment process, which he speaks about in the episode, he created A2A to help athletes navigate their own college recruiting process more smoothly. The program focuses on helping athletes make a more holistic decision when it comes to picking a college and also providing athletes with tools and resources for life after school. Throughout the episode, Reid discusses his own baseball experience and the importance of learning how to find the joy in what you do. After you listen to this episode, check out Reid’s story titled “Isn’t It Supposed to Be Fun?” featured on The Mental Matchup website!

In today’s episode, we are lucky to have Hilary Lemonick join The Mental Matchup. Hilary is a former Division I lacrosse player at Cornell University. She talks with Kat about everything from having type 1 diabetes, to disordered eating after a collegiate lacrosse career, to her experience and transition out of sport into the working world. Thank you Hilary for coming on and sharing your story!

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Sophie Speidel. Sophie is a former Women’s Lacrosse player who played at the University of Virginia and for Team USA. She teaches “Life Skills” a required social and emotional learning curriculum for all 9th graders and new 10th graders at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, VA (STAB). Sophie walks us through key points of emphasis everyone should learn from training, while emphasizing the importance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, practicing deep listening, and asking specific questions about suicide. If you want to learn more about Youth and Mental Health First Aid, head to mentalhealthfirstaid.org.

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down and talks with Scott Kelsey. Scott founded Shareapy, an organization thatwhich centers on the concept that human connection is a key component to success and happiness through sharing our life experiences. Throughout the episode, we open up about the importance of helping others live happier and more meaningful lives. Scott talks about his hockey career, shifting his mindset to a growth mindset, and how he works to manage his mental health every day. You don’t want to miss this episode!

If you’d like to learn more, check out @shareapy’s Instagram or head to Shareapy.com

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down and talks with Kelly Oberle. Kelly founded Access Human Potential, an organization that focuses on optimizing the performance of individuals, teams, and coaches in both the athletic and corporate world. Throughout the episode, we open up about the importance of resilience and emotional intelligence in achieving an individual’s full potential. As a current leadership development expert and former Division I softball player at Northwestern University, she has experience creating positive stress coping mechanisms such as breathing exercises, mindfulness, and gratitude. You don’t want to miss this episode!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat connects with Brandon Teixeira. Brandon is the founder and CEO of Mental Health Declassified. Mental Health Declassified is a platform that focuses on creating a safe space for anyone struggling with mental health and highlights the importance of supporting those around you who may be struggling alone. In the episode, Brandon opens up about his experience as a black athlete, how to approach a loved one who is struggling, and the power of your own brain. If you’d like to learn more about Brandon and his incredible work, check out Mental Health Declassified at mentalhealthdeclassified.com!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Ben Greiner. Ben is a former collegiate ice hockey player and current founder and CEO of TadHealth. Ben is also the founder of an organization called The TAD Project. Both of these incredible platforms focus on creating a safe community and navigating the often difficult topic of mental health. Throughout the episode, Ben opens up about the culture of the sport of hockey and also the relationship that many males have with mental health. Ben has given valuable resources and tools to so many individuals, friends, and families through these platforms and we’re so grateful to have him on the podcast! If you want to learn more about his organization, check out https://thetadproject.org and follow @thetadproject on Instagram!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Shelby Milne. Shelby played lacrosse at Hofstra University, is currently an Assistant Athletic Trainer UPenn, and is getting her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. Throughout the conversation, Shelby opens up about mental health being on a spectrum, whether or not having a competitive mindset can be healthy or unhealthy, and the importance of finding your identity outside of sport. Shelby also wrote a great article titled “On the Brink of Change” so don’t forget to check that out on The Mental Matchup website!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Angelica Galluzzo. Angelica is the host of the podcast The Revolutionized Mind, which provides space for people to share their mental health stories in order to promote positivity and happiness even in difficult situations. She talks about finding one’s identity outside of sport, the differences in sports culture between the US and Canada, and dealing with 5 major knee surgeries within 5 years.

Angelica stresses the fact that injuries or tough times are only momentary and things will get better. As advertised in her podcast’s bio, “Life is short, why not make every day count?”

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat talks with Emily Barnhart, who is a registered dietician working with athletes and runs her own private practice that is called Injury RD (working from the point of surgery to their return to play) but has also worked with general athletes throughout her career. During the episode, we talk about the impact food can have on your performance as an athlete and human, nutrition and how each person's needs are unique, and how she helps set her player’s bodies up for success in the healing process.

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat talks with Ashleigh Shanley, who swam at Duke and is currently working as a Content Associate/Production Assistant for ESPN in Charlotte, NC. Ashleigh received her Masters of Science of Journalism at Boston University in December of 2018 focusing on both sports journalism and broadcasting.

During the episode, we talk about injury and the impact it had on Ashleigh’s mental health, the individual aspect of swimming, going to therapy and her experience with losing a friend who died by suicide.

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat talks with Lindsey Ronbeck, current Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Richmond, and one of the most prolific women’s lacrosse players at the University of Florida. During the episode, we talk about the role lacrosse has played in her life, navigating athletics and education through learning disorders, grappling with disordered eating and SO much more.

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Renee Norden M.Ed, the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Fauquier County since November of 2020.

Did you know the average person waits 10 years to seek mental health treatment and that recovery is possible from roughly 95% of all mental health concerns (read that again)? Renee dives into these numbers and much more in this episode.