HOPEfull Conversations with Kari Eckert

My guest today is Amy Bryant, author of Let Them Play and owner of Bryant College Coaching.  Amy has spent over 20 years coaching in the NCAA.  Amy is a mother of two student athletes and in her free time enjoys hiking and traveling.  

Let Them Play offers practical advice for parenting athletes, emphasizing fun, balance, and personal growth over pressure and success. It guides parents to nurture holistic development through youth and high school sports, as well as the college recruitment process.   

In the early years of youth sports, the focus should be on fun, exploration, and development. Let Them Play offers practical strategies for parents to help their children build confidence, develop a passion for sports, and navigate challenges like teamwork and competition. 

As student-athletes enter their high school years, the dynamic changes, and so do the challenges. Let Them Play explores how to help teenagers balance the increasing demands of academics, athletics, and social pressures.

Learn more about Amy at https://bryantcollegecoaching.com

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My guest today is Bella Wright, co-writer & producer of The Gardening Club, a new pop rock musical that debuts in London this coming Thursday.  Bella was the winner of Robbie’s Hope’s Hall of Personal Expression in 2020 as a junior in high school.  

Bella is an actress, musician, composer, musical director and producer from Missoula, Montana, now based in Liverpool, England. After completing her high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy, she moved abroad to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, where she founded and fronted her alternative rock band. She has played shows with her band across venues in Liverpool, such as the BBC-hosted night at The Cavern Club, Rough Trade, and The Jacaranda. Wright also has three successful single releases, one with over 100K streams.

In 2022, Wright co-wrote and composed the book, music and lyrics to a new feminist rock musical, called The Gardening Club, with Carleigh McRitchie. This story that debuted onstage with three sold-out shows in Liverpool March 2024, and went on to a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2024, of which she performed in the cast. The Gardening Club has been named by Playbill as Top 20 Shows to See at Edinburgh Fringe, out of 4,000.

A timely tale about life’s bitter pills, The Gardening Club is set in 1960s Georgia, where six girls scheme to illegally distribute the birth control pill with their gardening club as a cover up. The pop-rock soundtrack showcases themes of pleasure, self-discovery, and the power of female friendships.

Read more about The Gardening Club in Playbill at https://playbill.com/article/the-history-of-the-birth-control-pill-blossoms-at-the-edinburgh-festival-fringe

Follow Bella at:  https://maestramusic.org/profile/bella-wright/

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is Rebecca Heiss, author of Instinct and an Evolutionary Biologist and Stress Physiologist.  Her book reveals the science behind our behaviors that affect our productivity, success, and ultimate happiness.

“Our instincts were developed hundreds of thousands of years ago t help us survive a world ruled by scarcity and danger.  But they are devastatingly mismatched to our current environments.  We live in a diverse world of abundant choices and almost limitless connections, which means they outdated instincts now stop us from succeeding.”

https://rebeccaheiss.com

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is Abby Moore, an inspiring young Crossfit athlete who is on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.  Abby started participating in Crossfit at age 11 when her parents joined a local gym.  In the last 7 years she has participated in the Crossfit Open 5 times and qualified to attend the Crossfit Games twice.  In 2021 she was ranked 11th in the world.

Abby is currently a senior at Holy Family High School in Colorado.  Like most teen athletes, she has had to discover who she is, and decide on what is going to define her.  Through physical and mental struggles she is finding balance in her life.

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is Kate King.  Kate is an author and Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board-Certified Art Therapist.  Kate’s book is titled The Radiant Life Project, Awaken Your Purpose, Heal Your Past, and Transform Your Future. This book is based on Kate’s clinical psychotherapy career and her own humble life learnings.  Kate’s mission is to create a ripple effect of well-being. Her book is considered a groundbreaking self-healing guide. Kate’s work of writing and teaching is a deep and clear template that builds awareness, confidence and self acceptance. Kate believes authenticity is always the answer and helps her clients find theirs.

Website:  https://theradiantlifeproject.com

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

My guest today is Kat Zempolic.  Kat is a Co-Founder, Board Member, Vice President, co-host of The Mental Matchup and Director of Podcasting for Morgan's Message. She grew up in northern Virginia and attended Duke University. She was a member of the Duke Women’s lacrosse team with Morgan. She graduated from Duke’s Trinity College in 2018 with a B.A. in Public Policy, certificate in Markets and Management Studies and minor in Visual and Media Studies. After graduating, Kat attended Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and graduated in 2019 with a Master’s of Science. She currently lives and works in Boston.

Morgan’s Message was founded in 2020 after the death of Morgan.  In January 2017, just before the beginning of her sophomore season, Morgan endured a dream-shattering knee injury. She spent the next 12 months determined to return to the field, undergoing surgery and dedicating herself to an intensive rehabilitation program. Morgan struggled with this abrupt change because she felt she had lost control within her life. As a result, Morgan’s self-worth plummeted. While she presented a strong, happy and resilient face to her community, she grappled with feeling that she was not living up to her expectations. Her feelings of isolation from the team and stress caused by other relationship issues accelerated the return of anxiety and depression. This time, Morgan chose to suffer in silence, keeping family and friends in the dark as she battled her mental health. As a result, Morgan died by suicide July 11, 2019 at the age of 22.

Their mission is To amplify stories, resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations and provide a platform for advocacy.  

Website:  https://www.morgansmessage.org 

For additional resources download or order our Athlete Handbook from our website.  Written by teens for their peers, coaches, and parents on how to maintain positive mental health in athletics.

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is Bryn Miller is a adolescent psychotherapist who turned parent coach after a decade of working with adolescents with eating disorders.  She loves working with adolescents and with parents.  She believes in involving parents in the treatment of teens for the best outcomes (with research to support the findings).  Bryn brings high energy and a bit of humor to her work.  Her signature 5-step framework parenting program is designed for parents to get concrete skills to get calm, confident and connected. 

Parenting is hard. Parenting a teen or young adult with a mental health issue - eating disorder, anxiety, depression - can feel downright impossible.  And, the truth is, our young people are struggling now more than ever before. (Just ask the CDC.) You are not alone.

You have spent sleepless nights on Google. You have listened to all the podcasts you could find. You may even have gotten your child a therapist. You've done so much to help them...but you feel - no, know - there is more you can do.  You are sick of feeling like you have to sit on the sidelines when you know you could be an asset to your teen in tough moments.  You know you could help. You just need a little guidance, some compassionate support and concrete skills.

Website:  https://brynmillercoaching.com

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is Allison Mallory.  Allison is a Mental Performance Consultant and case manager at Colorado University in Boulder, CO.  She works in the Psychological Health & Performance Department with D1 student athletes.   Alli is also working with Boulder Buffs a student-athlete peer advocacy group for mental health.  Boulder Buffs promotes mental health and wellness through education and support for student-athletes.  Their program focuses on the 3 R’s: Recognize, Respond, Refer

When it comes to athletes of all levels, we traditionally think of physical health as the top priority. Coaches want their players in peak physical shape at all times so that they can perform to the best of their ability–yet, many fail to think about the effects that mental health has on an athlete’s game. With collegiate sports in particular, athletes are balancing school, social life, and this time-consuming and physically draining job of playing a sport. College athletes are going through all of this while dealing with many other personal issues at such a young age. This overload of activities at the same time can cause a person to “crash,” and collegiate sports don’t take this into account. They are so focused on what the athlete can do for the college and how much money they can make that they often disregard what they can do for the athlete.

While professional athletes face the pressure of an oftentimes international audience, college athletes must balance similar pressures, all while maintaining their lives as normal college students. In addition, athletes are less likely than other college students to seek help. One study shows that around 33% of all college students will experience serious mental health struggles, such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Among this group, around 30% seek help through college resources. However, of college athletes experiencing mental health struggles, only around 10% seek help. College athletes are ordered to be mentally tough so often that they never seek help when they face a true issue because they don’t want to show weakness or vulnerability.

Website:  https://cubuffs.com/sports/2018/10/5/bolder-buffs

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is Andrea Davis.  Andrea Davis is a former secondary ed teacher turned screen-time navigator and youth advocate. She is the founder of Better Screen Time, where she shares family-tested ideas from the tech trenches as a mom of five. Her mission is to help parents take the slow tech road.

Andrea is the author of Creating a Tech-Healthy Family and is certified by the Digital Wellness Institute. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and USA Today. Her website, betterscreentime.com, received the Linda & Richard Eyre ‘Family Is’ Award. Most recently, she helped her local school district design a ‘Team Approach to Technology’ and adopt a phone-free policy.

Andrea and her husband, Tyler, live in beautiful Hood River, Oregon, where they love spending time outdoors as a family.

As technology has become more integrated into teenagers’ lives, the time spent in front of screens has continued to rise in the United States. High levels of screen time have been linked with adverse health outcomes, including poor sleep habits, fatigue, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Based on research in 2024 there may actually be good news on the horizon when it comes to how much time our teenagers are spending on their screens. Currently, more than half of US teens spend an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes of daily screen time. Considering the amount of sleep teenagers need, that's almost HALF of their waking hours.

But all hope isn't lost. We're finally seeing a decrease in the average screen time for teens for the first time, well—ever. After almost a decade of increases in daily screen time and then a giant spike during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're finally beginning to see a downward trend in how much time teenagers spend on their phones and other devices.

Website:  https://www.betterscreentime.com

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com

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My guest today is David George Brook.  David – That Gratitude Guy, has been a speaker, coach, and best-selling author for over 25 years.  He is a former Nordstrom store manager and managed in the corporate world for over 30 years.  His published works include “That Gratitude Guy’s Daily Gratitude Journal”, “Monday Morning Minutes: 100 Messages of Gratitude”, “Six-Word Lessons to Embrace Gratitude” and a number of other books on gratitude.  He was recently featured in Forbes and Costco Connection magazines, and travels nationally and internationally to deliver this important message.

“My Story:  How I Became “That Gratitude Guy”

My entire life has been one of overcoming tragedies and traumas.  What had been a relatively idyllic childhood, started to unravel at the age of 16 when my parents got divorced and I was forced to testify against my father.  My mother had struggled with depression and was diagnosed as having a manic-depressive disorder.

My father took his life, my mother died of cancer, and I lost many other family members and friends.  I unfortunately inherited some of my mother’s manic-depressive disorder and have continually struggled to manage my state.

On September 29, 1998, my wife Dana, died of a prescription pill overdose at the age of 38 years old.  I found her on the floor early that morning. My son Connor was four and my older son Kyle was 14.  I had watched Dana struggle over the past four years with three trips to rehab, countless relapses, and a trip to jail for prescription fraud.  Prior to her death, she drained our entire savings account to pay for her addiction.  Later that day, I came to understand very clearly why people take their life.  I decided right then, I never would.  Connor and Kyle had already lost one parent.  I needed to raise them.

In the aftermath of her death, I was forced to close my business and we lost our home to foreclosure.  I had no money and was close to a bankruptcy. Most days I could only manage to stare at the ceiling. That lasted for the better part of 2 years.  My support group, that I attended weekly, helped a great deal.  But I still needed something to help me.  After jumping from one job to another, I slowly started to rebuild my life.  I took additional jobs and spent very little.  Connor and I lived in a small apartment and shared the one bedroom.

So, I decided in December 2013, to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a motivational speaker, teacher, and coach.  I discovered the amazing power of gratitude.  I proceeded to find out everything about this powerful mindset, and how it could transform your life.  I have never looked back and feel so blessed to hear every week how much I have changed someone’s life.  Always follow your passion, and it will most likely become your purpose in life.”

Website:  https://thatgratitudeguy.com

For additional resources visit us at:  https://robbies-hope.com