Closer Mentality

Episode 63's Matt Woodtke introduced the concept of working through mental wellness basics with student-athletes as early as middle school. He also detailed the basics of coaching dynamics, why some coaches seem more approachable, and how adults can create a positive team culture surrounding mental health-related dialogues.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Season 2's Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd1OW7znIwy8klvp3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG

Episode 62 welcomed three representatives from the University of Michigan's Sack the Stigma initiative, which is aimed at engaging college students and student-athletes in mental health advocacy.

Sack The Stigma is a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan’s athletic department, specifically football players, Soho Youth Club, a advocacy-through-apparel brand, and Valiant, a sports marketing agency assisting Michigan’s student-athletes with NIL opportunities.

Speaking on behalf of the initiative are Brett Gray, Founder and CEO of Soho Youth Club, Carly Silverstein, Clinical Therapist and Mental Performance Fellow with Ann Arbor-based BLND Health, and Jared Wangler, Founder and CEO of Valiant.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Sack The Stigma Website: https://www.sohoyouthclub.com/pages/sack-the-stigma

Sack The Stigma Merchandise: https://www.mden.com/search.html?S001=sack%20the%20stigma

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Brendan Griffiths joined Closer Mentality to talk about his experience with the transfer portal, finding a Division II school, playing professional soccer in Germany and Denmark, and his experiences with resource discrepancies.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

In The 11 Pod: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-11-with-brendan-griffiths/id1511066634

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

To conclude Women's History Month, Closer Mentality brought on Team Australia freestyle skier Madii Himbury.

We talked through the gymnastics to freestyle ski pipeline, competing for Team Australia, qualifying for the Olympics, Australian mental health resources, and the physical and mental strains of three ACL tears.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

2003 Study: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237513367_The_Prevalence_of_Previous_Serious_Knee_Injuries_in_Freestyle_World_Championship_Skiers

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 59 brought forth the story of former Team USA cross-country skier, and five-time Olympian, Kikkan Randall.

In one of the most amazing stories of heart and perseverance I've ever gotten the opportunity to tell on this podcast, Kikkan walked us through her two-decade career, setting United States records, what it meant to finally walk away with an Olympic gold, and the diagnosis that rocked her world mere months later.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Kikkan's Cool Socks: https://shop.kikkan.com/

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 58 welcomed University of Kentucky's junior rifle athlete Mary Tucker. Tucker is a four-time National Champion and Olympic silver medalist. She stopped by Closer Mentality to revisit her introduction to rifle, finding her Wildcat team, the lead-up to Tokyo 2020, and what motivates her to constantly strive for what's next!

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

In Episode 57, former professional soccer midfielder Angela Salem joined the podcast to talk about how she's had a front-row seat to the evolution of women's soccer in the United States, how mental health resources have broadened availability, and how she hopes to give back to the sport that gave her so much.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 56 brought Closer Mentality to South America, where we met Team Peru pole vaulter Nicole Hein.

Hein talked about the gymnast to pole vaulter pipeline, the revolving door of talent coming through Peru, and how the country deals with its athletes' mental and physical healths on the world stage.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Emily Potter joined Episode 55 to work through her experience playing college basketball at the University of Utah, signing a training camp deal with the Seattle Storm, and moving across the world to play basketball in Poland, Czech Republic, and Greece, during which time she began having mental health struggles.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 54 welcomed Team Zimbabwe and former Kentucky Wildcat swimmer Peter Wetzlar. He talked about his experience growing up in Zimbabwe, going to a swim-centric boarding school in South Africa, and finally finding his home in the United States. He detailed the road to qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, being one of only five Zimbabwean Olympians sent, and how his relationship with sport was capped by the trip.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality

Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA