#91: In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Anna Beth Baker who is a rising senior on the Lander University Women’s Lacrosse team and also studies nursing. Throughout the episode, Anna Beth talks about the performance anxiety she experienced once getting to college, trying to overcome the overwhelming fear of perfectionism, and the importance of getting support from coaches. She is a great resource for others to show how affirmative self-talk and positive visualization can impact confidence both on and off the field!

This week we are welcoming Kyle Taylor to the podcast. Kyle is a Tampa native and went to The University of Tampa for undergrad and grad school. Growing up, sports played a huge role in his life and he ultimately got into Cross Country to stay in shape for soccer season. During the episode, Kyle opens up about his experience with anxiety and disordered eating, what it's like participating in an individual sport like running versus a team sport, and the highs and lows of being a collegiate athlete.

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Jennifer Hammel. Jenn grew up in Mountaintop, PA and attended Crestwood High School before graduating with an undergraduate degree from UConn in 1994 and a Masters of Education in Athletic Administration from Endicott College in 2018. Jenn played softball and field hockey growing up and continued her field hockey career at UConn. Throughout the episode, Jenn opens up about her struggle with the transition from being a student-athlete to life after athletics while also getting married at a young age and raising a family. She is currently the director of athletics and activities at West Bridgewater High School and emphasizes the importance of having a strong support system to help navigate each individual’s journey!

#87: In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat connects with John Hutchins. John is on the football team at St. Lawrence University and grew up in Yardley, PA. John dealt with multiple setbacks including a broken leg in high school, COVID affecting his football season, and being diagnosed with a rare condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in college. Despite all of these complications, John opens up about seeking help and ultimately working on his mental and physical health. Thank you John for coming on to share your story and breaking the stigma surrounding phrases like “fake it till you make it” or “man up” since asking for help is truly a sign of courage!

This week we have a special holiday podcast episode! Kat is joined by a close friend and mental health advocate Leeann Passaro. Leeann is the COO of The Hidden Opponent, a non-profit focused on breaking the stigma of mental health in athletics. During the episode, Kat and Leeann sit down to chat about different lessons they’ve learned throughout the past year and things they will take with them into 2023. Don’t forget to check out The Hidden Opponent’s instagram @thehiddenopponent. Thank you to everyone for your support this past year and cheers to the New Year!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Emily Cole. Emily is a collegiate athlete on the Duke University Cross Country team. Emily is candid about her own experience with food and how seemingly “health eating” can potentially be detrimental mentally and physically. As an athlete, it’s important to recognize the importance of prioritizing your health in order to optimize performance. As a female athlete, we are lucky to have Emily on the podcast to share her own story and continue a dialogue surrounding how your body performs versus how you look. Check out her book, The Player’s Plate, on Amazon!

Tori grew up in Maryland and played collegiate lacrosse at the University of Florida. Throughout the episode, Tori opens up about her experience as an athlete dealing with multiple injuries and the different side effects that many people can experience, like more restricted eating and depression. Tori and Kat also discuss the importance of focusing on the overall long-term health of herself both mentally and physically. After listening to the podcast, don’t forget to check out Tori’s story “More Than a Number” on the Morgan’s Message site under The Mental Matchup Podcast: Stories!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, we are joined by Kristyna Bertolone aka “Coach K”. Coach K is a former collegiate softball player and founded Game Changers, a platform that specializes in mental performance coaching. In the episode, Kat and Coach K cover many valuable topics such as controlling the controllables, reacting vs responding to a situation, and asking yourself important questions such as “who are you at your best” to optimize personal and sports performance. After listening to the episode, go check out Game Changers site and social media presence on Instagram and TikTok!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Jillian Schumacher. After going through the recruiting process for lacrosse, Jillian ultimately decided not to play in college and attend Ohio State. Once she got to Ohio State, Jillian realized she should’ve pursued college lacrosse and transferred to UMass Lowell. Throughout the episode, Jillian opens up about her own recruiting process, transferring to go play lacrosse at a Division I program, and experiencing anxiety while playing. She also touches on the impact that a positive mindset can have on an individual's sports performance. Thank you for coming on and sharing your story, Jillian!