In this podcast episode, Dr. Steve Graef discusses body imaging and how extreme muscle or weight gain/losses during a session affect an athletic and their performance. What toll do these extreme's take on an athlete'ss mental health and view of themselves? Dr. Graef discusses educating oneself on why a coach may ask an athlete to make a shift in season. In addition, he offers advice to coaches bringing in athletic trainers and conditioning coaches to educate coaches, parents and athletes on how to gain/lose muscle in a safe way during the season.

While wrestling and swiming are two sports that athletes experience these extremes, football players, runners and cheerleaders all look at muscle tone and fitness to perform better in their respective sports.

Dr. Steve is not a nutrition expert and does not treat athletes who are having trouble with eating disorders. His discussion focuses on the mental health aspect and what parents, coaches and athletes should be aware of when the athlete is asked to make these sacrifices on their bodies.

C&A's Trauma Specialist Mary Kreitz discusses a growing concern as many individuals are dealing with loneliness, especially adolescents. Mary discribes loneliness as feels of when social needs are not satisfied, which is different for each individual. Mary states it is ok to spend time alone or have feelings of loneliness, but if those feelings last for long periods of time, that can be concerning. She also said loneliness does not discriminate and can happen to anyone. A great listen with some terrific tips to help you or someone you care about get understand and help family and friends who are experiencing loneliness.

Athletes often enjoy playing more than one high school sport. Typically, an athlete is not playing multiple sports in the same season but rather a running cross country in the fall and track in the spring. Or, playing football in the fall and basketball or wrestling in the winter. Oftentimes, coaches want athletes to work out year round for their sport. In this episode, Dr. Steve discusses how coaches can help athletes who play two sports. Dr. Steve discusses how coaches should communicate schedules with the athletic director and fellow coaches so the athlete can play and succeed in playing multiple sports. A great listen for coaches and athletes.

In this episode, Dr. Steve Graef discusses how coaches, athletes and parents can utilize multiple social media platforms for the positive and the affects negative social media comments can have on teams, athletes and even parents. Dr. Steve discusses how coaches can advise parent groups on running booster pages to use the various channels and how athletes can use social media for positive recruiting. He also makes suggestions for how high school athletic directors can guide coaches as well.

Social media is a new norm for teams to reach support groups, families and friends.

In this episode, Dr. Steve Graef discusses how coaches navigate having a two sport athlete. In the episode, he discusses the role an athletic director can play in helping coaches work together during the summer/off season and being understanding if conflicts appear during workouts. He also gives great advice for coaches when in-season.

For students, one the key components to being a successful two-sport athlete is to clearly communicate your schedule to the different coaches. Important to note, how to communicate if you are not peak performance for the day.

Dr. Graef also offers parents advice on providing mental health check ins and work on scheduling for students who cannot drive.

Being a two-sport athlete has many advantages if all parties involved are on the same page.

This episode discusses how special senior season is for athletes. Sports psychologist Dr. Steve Graef discusses how coaches can include seniors on making decisions to make the season special for all players - starters and reserve players. For a seasoned coach, Dr. Steve discusses how to continue and be energerized every year for a new senior class. For athletes, all the hard work from youth through high school culminates in a special season. Dr. Steve talks about different ways to enjoy the season playing with friends for the final time since youth sports. And for parents, taking time to enjoy the season and savor moments with their kids and other parents.

Communication is one of the critical aspects of any sport. Whether it's before, during or after the game, effective communication is the basis of any successful team. As athletes interact with each other, it becomes even more essential for coaches to master the art of conveying their messages to athletes of various physical and emotional levels during those developmental stages. In this episode, Dr. Steve shares valuable insights on how coaches can effectively communicate with their athletes to encourage their best performance. He also provides some terrific tips for parents to understand the messages they are receiving from their athlete and the coach.

The intiative podcast focuses on parents who place too much pressure on their chlld to perform in athletics. Dr. Steve Graef, a Columbus-based sports psychologist, offers advice for coaches to help athletes minimize the pressure they place on themselves; tips for the athletes to control the elements within their means; and parents to set boundraies at the outset of the season to how to handle discussions with their athlete after a game. This is a great conversation to help make the athletic experience more enjoyable for all parties involved.