Butterfly Road

DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls’ dominant shooting guard, is no stranger to success. With five NBA All-Star games under his belt, he’s shown poise and consistency in the league since his induction in 2009. However, our admiration of DeRozan is for something that can’t be found on the stat sheet. It comes from the vulnerability to talk about his depression and ignite a long-overdue conversation in the NBA about mental health. 

Join us as we discuss DeRozan’s background, playing history, and the ways he changed the NBA for the better! 

This week we sit down with Diego Bocanegra-- the first coach to ever join us on Butterfly Road. Diego spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Notre Dame where he coached us. After, he led the University of Houston women's soccer team to their most successful season in program history as a head coach. 

During this episode, we ask Diego all the questions we couldn't as players and where he sees the future of soccer as it relates to mental health. He shares the pillars he stuck to as a coach and details his perspective on players going through hard times. We couldn't be more grateful for Diego's vulnerability and willingness to divulge on the podcast. Tune in! 

Join us this week as we sit down with Tina Iordanou and Joanna Boyles – hosts of one of our favorite podcasts Two Washups One Pro. 
 
Being former professional soccer players themselves, they know far too well the identity crisis an athlete experiences when they retire from their sport. As they bring us through their stories of retirement and finding themselves outside of soccer, we realize that this life transition is relatable to all types of people (athlete or not). What makes up your identity? How do you cope with the fear of losing your identity after leaving something? What mindset must you have to tackle the next stage of life? Tune in to hear the answers to all these questions and more!

New Year’s resolutions have us all trying to better ourselves this year. And what better way to start than with our mental headspace and emotions! 

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking to Emily Perrin, CEO and Founder of Perrin Wellness and Performance. She is an integrative health coach and expert in all things mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. As a former D1 soccer player herself, Emily loves working with collegiate and professional athletes, helping them navigate the mental challenges of their sport.

Tune in to hear about her meditation routines, techniques to stay mindful, and how she turned her passion into a career.

Our special guest this week is none other than my cohost, Cari Roccaro!

Every athlete knows the grind, challenges, and triumphs that accompany a sports season and Cari’s 2021 NWSL journey was just that. But her ability to stay steady, refocus and deal with those challenges is what allowed her to mentally grow throughout it all. 

Tune in to hear about her journey and advice she has for those also going through it!

This week, we sat down with former NHL player Stephen Johns to discuss his journey from rock bottom to roller-blading across the country.

Stephen Johns played professionally for the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars organizations from 2014 to 2020. He had to step aside for two years and ultimately from the game altogether due to too many concussions. This started his downward spiral leading to depression.

Join us to hear the unique story of how he embarked on a cross-country MentalMiles journey and overcame his depression!

It's officially spooky season and what's scarier than Halloween itself? Evaluating yourself through the eyes of other people! Oftentimes, we learn at a young age that others' opinions determine our self-worth. As we grow up, this belief system becomes reinforced and harder to grow out of. But fear not! In this episode, we discuss the origins of your self-worth and different techniques/practices you can use to improve it. We promise it's never too late to work on yourself. All you need to do is take the first step -- so tune in!

We're back and boy do we have a LOT to catch up on! Work stress, breakthrough COVID infections, moving across the country, and the loss of a loved one -- life has thrown us some curveballs. We'd be remiss if we had not taken the last few weeks off. After all, we constantly preach stepping away to focus on your mental health.

But now we're recharged and so happy to be back discussing sports, life and the mental rollercoaster ride of it all. Join us! 

This episode, we sit down with our friend and former Notre Dame football captain, James Onwualu! 

James’ story is unlike anything we’ve ever heard. From injuries, to cuts, to crashing on people’s couches on both coasts, James has been through the ringer. In a league as cut-throat as the NFL, these obstacles can bring you to a dark place mentally. And yet, his resilience pushed him to get back out there every time. 

Join us as he discusses – for the first time ever – his journey and what the landscape looks like for mental health in male sports.

Do you ever feel like your self-esteem is lower after looking at someone else’s Instagram? Do doubts creep in when you see someone achieve something you desire? Comparing yourself to others is natural—we all do it. However, life is more fun — and more manageable — when we focus on self-growth rather than others' accomplishments. 

Tune in for a raw conversation on our struggles with comparing, why it’s important to avoid it, and tips and tricks on how to do so!