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.