In this debut episode of Her Turn to Play, host Ella Raef talks with Jaecee Hall, founder and CEO of Unbreakable Female Athlete, about what it truly means to be confident, resilient, and unbreakable as a woman in sports. From overcoming setbacks to building a brand that empowers others, Jaecee shares her journey as an athlete and entrepreneur, leading the charge for female strength and visibility. It’s an authentic, uplifting conversation about leadership, self-belief, and the power of using your voice to create change.

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Her Turn to Play is a storytelling podcast that gives women in sports the space to speak openly about their journeys, the victories, challenges, and everything in between. Hosted by Sport and Recreation Management major Ella Raef, the show explores how female athletes, coaches, and leaders continue to push for fairness, visibility, and opportunity in a field that hasn’t always played fair. Each episode combines honest conversations, personal reflection, and insight into the realities of being women in sports.

Listeners can expect empowering stories, heartfelt discussions, and practical takeaways about leadership, confidence, and resilience. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, passionate fan, or you work in the industry, Her Turn to Play invites you to celebrate the voices shaping the future of women’s sports, one story at a time.

In this episode, I sit down with Megan Menzel, head coach of the Iowa Women’s Golf team, to explore the business side of collegiate golf. Together, we discuss how programs like Iowa build their brands, develop visibility for women’s sports, and adapt to the opportunities and challenges of the NIL era. Coach Menzel shares insights on athlete development, resource management, and the future of women’s golf, offering valuable advice for anyone interested in how college sports are evolving beyond the game. Listeners will walk away with a better understanding of how branding, leadership, and innovation drive success in non-revenue sports, and how women’s golf is carving out a stronger voice in the world of college athletics.

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The Business Playbook podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of college athletics to uncover the business decisions, branding strategies, and financial realities shaping today’s sports programs. This show dives into how coaches, athletes, and athletic departments navigate sponsorships, NIL opportunities, and program growth in an evolving sports landscape. Whether you’re a fan, student-athlete, or aspiring sports professional, The Business Playbook reveals the lessons and leadership behind the game, straight from the people involved in it.

Tyler Guerin, a Division I baseball player at the University of Iowa, dives into the highs and lows of youth travel baseball. He shares firsthand experiences of the travel baseball circuit, what to look for in travel programs, the money grabs, and advice for young players and parents. Along the way, he explains what experiences help athletes grow and what challenges families should be aware of. This episode provides clear, practical guidance for players and parents navigating the travel ball system.

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Cleats Over Cash takes listeners behind the scenes of youth sports through candid interviews with Division I athletes who have lived the journey. Each episode highlights what truly drives development by focusing on coaching, mindset, resilience, and support while moving past the noise, pressure, and growing expenses of youth sports today. These athletes share honest stories, hard lessons, and the realities behind youth sports.

In our first episode featuring guest Riley Richardson, she shares her inspiring journey growing up as a young female athlete. Talking about her current experience in university and competing as an international in Division I collegiate athletics, stepping out of her comfort zone switching sports, and representing her national team on the global stage, her story encourages listeners to challenge themselves by stepping out of their comfort zones and asking themselves: Why not me

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The Women in Sport Podcast dives deep into the experiences, motivation and mindset of powerful female athletes as they help break barriers and redefine the success and development of athletics. Hosted by Danika Richardson, this podcast gives listeners a first-hand look at what it truly means to be a powerful woman in sport. Discussing challenges, inspiring stories and providing advice, these women hope to inspire the future generation of athletes. The women in sport cast doesn't just talk about women in sports, we talk with the women shaping it. Each episode explores the importance of hard work, passion and perseverance, leading to athletic success both on and off the field. Tune in for inspirational, empowering and authentic stories from the women who prove that anything is possible.

In the pilot episode of Wanderlust, I sit down with Dr. Sarah Hardin, an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Iowa, who brings a wealth of knowledge about recreation, outdoor engagement, and America’s national parks. Together, we discuss how spending time in nature and visiting national parks can shape our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Dr. Hardin shares her perspective on why recreation is so vital to human connection and community, and how these spaces continue to inspire reflection, adventure, and conservation. This episode invites listeners to think about the role nature plays in their own lives and how exploring the outdoors can bring balance, joy, and a sense of freedom.

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Wanderlust is a storytelling and interview podcast that takes listeners deep into the heart of America’s national parks. Each episode features conversations with park rangers, recreation professionals, and outdoor enthusiasts who share their firsthand experiences, insights, and love for the land. Together, we explore how these incredible places are managed, protected, and enjoyed – blending stories of adventure with lessons in conservation, recreation, and environmental stewardship. Whether you’re a weekend hiker, a nature lover, or someone planning your next big trip, Wanderlust offers inspiration, practical tips, and a deeper appreciation for the wild beauty that defines our national parks.

What happens when you must walk away from the game you love? In this episode, I sit down with my brother, Cody Foppe, a former high-level hockey player whose dream was cut short by concussions. Now an assistant golf professional in Salt Lake City, Cody reflects on the hit that changed everything, the physical symptoms, the mental fog, and the identity crisis that followed. Together, we unpack the silence around head injuries, the things nobody knows about healing, and the long road to finding yourself again. It’s a candid, emotional conversation about loss, resilience, and redefining who you are when you step off the ice.

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Prepare for Impact dives into the real-life aftermath of sports-related head injuries, with a focus on concussions and CTE. Hosted by Kennedy Foppe, each episode will feature personal stories and expert insights that explore how concussions and CTE affect athletes, families, and the culture of sports themselves. From identity loss and mental health struggles to the ripple effects on teammates and loved ones, this podcast goes beyond the research to ask: What does recovery really look like and where do we go from here? Whether you're an athlete, a parent, or just someone trying to understand the invisible impact of concussions, Prepare for Impact offers empathy, education, and a space to rethink our approach to protecting athletes from youth leagues to the pros.

They weren’t supposed to make history, but Doug Edert explains that the Saint Peter’s Peacocks didn’t care about the odds or outside noise. This is the tale of a modern Cinderella story. Back in 2021, Edert and the Peacocks were the team that wouldn’t go down, constantly pecking and clawing their way through March Madness to become the first 15-seed in college basketball history to reach the Elite Eight. In this episode of Sports Minded, we explore what went on behind the scenes with the team that just wouldn’t quit, highlighting the relentless work, belief, and chemistry that fueled this unforgettable underdog story. The Peacocks were fearless in the biggest moments, and the game was never over until the clock struck midnight. Edert offers a firsthand look at his college basketball journey and what made that Saint Peter’s team so special. We also dive into the world of sports psychology, exploring how teamwork, mindset, motivation, and team dynamics help long-shot teams succeed in March Madness and beyond. Join us for an inside look at the mindset and preparation that turned the 2021 March Madness tournament into a modern-day fairytale.

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Sports Minded is an interview-based podcast that takes listeners inside the world of sports psychology, diving into what truly motivates athletes and teams to perform at their best. Each episode features conversations with players, coaches, and psychology experts who share insights into team chemistry, motivation, goals, dynamics, and decision-making under pressure. In this podcast, we go beyond what fans see on the box score and on their TV screen to look at what goes on behind the scenes in the locker room and in practice to set teams and players up for success. Differentiating how elite teams build chemistry and how smaller teams can build confidence and use psychological tactics to gain an edge on the competition. And what separates cultures that have a positive impact on winning, as well as those that negatively affect the team. Whether it’s stories of success or failure, Sports Minded provides fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and moments of teamwork, chemistry, dynamics, and much more, as well as adding context to questions fans have always wanted to try to learn the answer to including, unforgettable upsets and how they happen, greatest success stories, and what creates this supposed winning culture. Sports Minded reveals all these things and much more through psychology and what shapes winning mindsets. This podcast is aimed at fans, athletes, and curious minds alike who are interested in discovering how success in sports often starts in the mind and locker room long before the game begins.

In this episode of Inside the Huddle, we interview Penn Phillips, a championship-winning youth volleyball coach, and try to learn what it actually means to develop a successful team and become a great coach. Coach Phillips understands his career path as a coach, his strategy for handling youth teams, and those universal elements that form his coaching philosophy. Learning how to inspire a positive team spirit, issues of responsibility, and learning to be resilient, will all be revealed in this episode that will give you valuable insights as a coach, an athlete, or a parent, based on all of Coach Phillips' experience.

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Step Inside the Huddle, a podcast in which we explore, through storytelling and science, the art of sport coaching. Every episode will examine what it is that sets a superior coach apart. Coaching is all about leadership, communication, inspiration, game plans, and building team spirit. Whether you've been a coach for years, or you're just looking to become one, you're guaranteed to learn a lot from this podcast as we unpack the game plan of excellent coaches and learn how exceptional mentors get top performances out of their athletes.

Have you ever wondered who’s capturing every pitch and swing that fuels a Big Ten baseball team? Host Nolan Graham chats with Iowa Baseball Video and Technology Manager Kyle Rodriguez about the unseen side of Hawkeye baseball. From operating TrackMan and Edgertronic to scouting for Prep Baseball, Kyle shares his experiences and what it’s like to work behind the scenes to keep the Hawkeyes at the top of Big Ten baseball.

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Every college team has its stars, but behind every star is a student manager helping to fuel success. The Invisible Backbone spotlights these unsung heroes of college athletics. From equipment rooms to the film room, we’ll go beyond the game broadcast to reveal the people, passion, and dedication that help drive your favorite college sports.

Goaltender Luke Lush has experienced every level of competitive hockey from Junior A, to NCAA Division I, to professional hockey in the ECHL. In Mind Over Moment, Luke joins us to talk about the intense mental demands of life in the crease. He shares how he prepares for high pressure situations, manages nerves, and how he finds focus when the puck drops. This episode offers an inside look on how athletes develop confidence, recover from setbacks, and stay mentally composed when the game and their performance is on the line.

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Mind Over Moment explores the mental side of athletic performance and what it takes to stay composed under pressure. The podcast dives into the experiences of athletes who confront nerves, fear, anxiety and expectations in high pressure situations. Through honest and reflective storytelling, Mind Over Moment reveals how mental preparation, focus and confidence can transform anxiety into strength, and pressure into opportunity.