Tom is joined by former professional hockey player turned mental performance coach Taylor Cook to discuss how to implement an athlete centered coaching model. Also discussed is how to provide useful feedback as a coach, and why mental performance is just as valuable as the physical aspect.

About Taylor:

IG - @taylorbcook_

The Athletic Mind - https://open.spotify.com/show/3mCWuxYHmwi48aXgzo8tSW?si=f4bffa9866fb4a41

Email: [email protected]

Brain Training for Athletes Mental Performance Program - https://elitehighperformance.mykajabi.com/pl/21476073

Tom is joined by OWN IT System Founder Justin Roethlingshoefer and Nick Wooters to discuss how colleges and universities can implement the OWN IT System app for student athletes. Also discussed is how to use data to drive health and human performance, empowering athletes to make decisions for themselves, and why the basis of performance is holistic health and wellness.

About OWN IT:

The OWN IT System combines best-in-class wearables, the OWN IT App, and expert coaching to help student-athletes gain a more comprehensive understanding of health in multiple facets such as sleep, hydration, nutrition, self-care, and more to ensure the most recovered athlete is walking through your facility doors ready to perform.

Instagram: @ownitsystem

https://ownitapp.com

Tom is joined by UM-Duluth Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Jeremy Golden to discuss the recent article he wrote on anxietyinathletes.org about his lifetime struggles with depression and grief. Jeremy opens up about the loss of his mother, and how he had to address both grief and depression in his life at the same time. Also discussed is the benefits of therapy, and how Tom and Jeremy plan on continuing to break the stigma of mental health for coaches worldwide.

Article: https://anxietyinathletes.org/2023/03/31/my-setback-my-comeback/

About Jeremy:

Jeremy Golden was named the Head Strength and Conditioning for Men’s and Women’s Hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in July of 2022.  Prior to this, he spent three years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Women’s Basketball at the University of Virginia. Over the past decade, Golden has worked with various NCAA Division I athletes before arriving in Duluth— he worked as Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at the Univ. of New Mexico and the Director of Sports Performance at Santa Clara University. He also spent six years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Cornell, and one year working with the Friars’ women’s basketball team at Providence College.

Golden also serves as a board member with the NSCA’s Basketball Special Interest Group. When Golden was a junior in college at the Univ. of Tulsa, he played football while earning a B.A in Mass Communication (1999). He then went on to earn an M.S in physical education and sports administration from the University of New Mexico (2003).

Tom is joined by two former athletes and coaches (Angela Teeple and Melissa Katz) that have joined together to start the ALL IN Apparel brand to empower athletes to share their own personal mental health journeys and bring the conversation of mental health in athletics to the forefront of people's minds. Angela and Melissa talk about why they chose apparel as the product for their company, and what the ALL IN mentality means to each of them. Tom also discusses why he turned down various brand ambassador deals and chose to join the ALL IN team.

https://allinathletes.org

Instagram: @allin.athletes

Ang and Melissa experienced firsthand the impact that mental health can have on athletes, both on and off the field. They’ve teamed up to create ALL IN, a brand focused on promoting mental health awareness and a positive mindset in sports.

Tom is joined by Canadian Judo national champion Erin Reim and clinician Chris Trondsen to discuss living with Body Dysmoprhic Disorder as an elite athlete on her way to being ranked #7 in the world. The group also discusses the different expectations society has created in regards to body image, and the false ways the mental health disorder is portrayed in the media.

About Erin:

Erin Reim grew up in Montreal, Canada, performing as an elite judo athlete at the North American level in Shiai. She faced significant mental health challenges which caused a retreat from her passion, only to re-emerge in the space of judo kata where she competed at the World Championships four times as a representative of Team Canada. She merges her passion for athletics with her major in psychology at McGill University, fostering a dedication for reduced mental illness stigma, especially among young athletes. She is an advisor to the founders of the Centre of Excellence and Global Basecamp for Youth and Young Adult Mental Health and Wellness.

About Chris:

Chris Trondsen suffered from undiagnosed, severe OCD, BDD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety and panic attacks beginning as a young child. It was not until his early 20s that Chris received both a formal diagnosis and specialized treatment. Chris began advocating publicly for mental health and shared his story of recovery on TV, including the Dr. Drew Show, the Montel Williams Show, and NBC, as well as in various newspapers and websites including Buzzfeed and VICE. Additionally, Chris began speaking at Annual OCD Conferences, including giving the keynote with his mom at the 2011 conference. Chris treats individuals with OCD and BDD at The Gateway Institute in Costa Mesa, California.

In episode 015, Tom is joined by Brown University Strength and Conditioning Coach Anthony Paiva to talk about how environment can shape an athlete's experience and attitude.   Coach Paiva talks about his decision to open about his sexuality to his athletes and colleagues, and overcoming the anxiety that came with the decision.  Tom and Anthony also talk about how to foster an environment that is motivating and inclusive, the need for diversity in the performance field, and the willingness to have tough conversations around student athlete mental health.

About Coach Anthony Paiva, MS, CSCS, SCCC, USAW:

Anthony Paiva is a strength and conditioning coach for Brown University, currently in his fourth year.  Anthony joined the strength and conditioning staff in 2019 following an internship with the university.

Anthony has a background in a plethora of sports, most notably Jiu-Jitsu in which he trained for over 10 years. He currently competes in Olympic weightlifting in the 81kg weight class. He has spent 9 years in the strength and conditioning industry working in a range of settings from private sector to collegiate.

Anthony currently works with five sports at Brown, Baseball, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Water Polo and Men’s Soccer. He also serves as the Assistant State & Provincial Director for the Rhode Island NSCA Advisory Board, where he aims to provide continuing education for professionals and work to progress the field further.

Anthony graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2018 with a BS in Kinesiology, where he then went on to receive a MS in Exercise Science & Human Performance from Liberty University in 2019.

Tom is joined by Ivan Tchatchouwo (Founder and CEO of The Zone App) to discuss the way his team is addressing student athlete mental health and the preventative care The Zone app is aiming to provide to college campuses everywhere.  Ivan also discusses his background in human performance, and explains his "why" story detailing his own struggles with mental health as a collegiate athlete.  

Twitter/IG: @IvanTchatchuowo

About Ivan:

Ivan is a thoughtful leader and entrepreneur in the field of human performance and wellness. As Founder of The Zone, Ivan has taken on the mission of improving student-athlete wellbeing through mobile technology and data analytics. He has a Masters Degree in Applied Physiology from Columbia University, where he focused on data, wellbeing, and human performance. A former captain of the men’s basketball team at Concordia College, Ivan has been involved in athletics for 20+ years. He is passionate about helping the younger generation achieve wellness and long-term success.

Host Tom Smalley is joined by Professional Rugby player and Collegiate Coach Gianna Solomon to discuss her path to being a strong female leader in sports.  Gianna most recently won a national championship as an Assistant Coach with Dartmouth Women's Rugby, and is currently playing professional rugby in the women's premier league.  Tom and Gianna discuss what needs to change in athletics, how she has cemented herself as more than just a number, and the different types of anxiety coaches and athletes face daily.  You will not want to miss this!

About Gianna:

Gianna Solomon joined the Dartmouth women's rugby staff as an assistant coach in August 2022 and immediately contributed to the teams success as they took home the National Championship this past season.

A former collegiate rugby player, Solomon earned All-America accolades and won a pair of national championships at Penn State. She went on to play professionally in the Women's Premier League. Solomon also served as the head rugby coach at Greenwich Area School District and gained additional coaching experience as an assistant coach for Northeast Rugby Academy and The Rugby Advantage.

Solomon arrives at Dartmouth following her role as a graduate assistant in strength and conditioning at Wagner College, where she worked with women's basketball and several Olympic sports while serving as the head of education for nutrition, hydration and sleep.

Solomon graduated from Penn State in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and received a master's in media management at Wagner in 2022.

PLEASE NOTE: This episode includes mention of suicidality.  If you are in a crisis, or you are ever feeling suicidal or unsafe, please go to your local emergency room, or call 911 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988” (you can also access online at www.988lifeline.org.) 

Host Tom Smalley is joined by Morgan's Message Co-Founder and Director of Education Clare Kehoe to discuss the loss of her best friend, Duke Women's Lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers, and how the tragic loss prompted the start of the non-profit organization Morgan's Message in her friend's honor.  Clare talks about the goals of the organization, the chaotic lives of collegiate athletes, and the improvements she wants to see coaches make.

Instagram: @clare_kehoe

MM Instagram: @morgansmessage

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.morgansmessage.org

Clare Kehoe is a Co-Founder, Board Member and Director of Education for Morgan's Message. She grew up in northern Virginia playing club lacrosse with Morgan and attended Duke University with Morgan as well. She was president and captain of the Duke Women's Club Lacrosse team and graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minors in biology and chemistry. After graduating, Clare worked in clinical research in pediatric orthopedics at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She has long-term plans to become a nurse practitioner in psychiatric-mental health. Clare currently lives in Baltimore where she is an MSN Entry into Nursing student at Johns Hopkins University.

Tom is joined by Dr. Alex Auerbach to discuss his high performance model he uses in his work as the Director of Wellness and Development for the NBA's Toronto Raptors.  Alex dives into details regarding how to be productive with goal setting, useful mental skills he teaches his clients, and the shift he would like to see regarding the way mental health is treated.

Dr. Alex's Newsletter: http://Perform.Beehiiv.com

Twitter: @AlexAuerbachPhD

Dr. Alex Auerbach is the Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors. He joined the Toronto Raptors after serving as the Director of Clinical and Sport Psychology for the University of Arizona. Dr. Auerbach has worked with NCAA Division-I schools in the Pac-12, ACC, Big 12, and Conference USA, where his work has included serving as the performance consultant for a Conference USA bowl-winning football team, ACC championship team, and student-athletes who continued in professional sport and/or the Olympic games. Dr. Auerbach has worked for 7 years providing clinical care, crisis intervention, and performance consultation for professional, collegiate, and Olympic athletes, as well as coaching staff, medical staff, and sports administration. Dr. Auerbach earned his doctoral degree in counseling psychology with a specialization in sport and performance psychology from the University of North Texas. He received a Master’s in Business Administration from Salve Regina University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Arizona.

He has published research and presented at international and national conferences, serves as a journal reviewer for the Journal of Athlete Development, and has been nominated for and served in leadership roles for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association. Prior to attending University of North Texas, Dr. Auerbach gained experience coaching football and working in team operations at the Division I and NFL levels. He served as an undergraduate assistant with University of Arizona football while completing his Bachelor’s degree and subsequently worked as a full-time offensive assistant coach and assistant director of football operations at a Division I FCS University. Dr. Auerbach has also worked in team operations for two NFL organizations. Dr. Auerbach is a member of the American Psychological Association’s Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) and Division 17 (Counseling Psychology), as well as the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Dr. Auerbach is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, a Licensed Psychologist, and a member of the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry.