The Masters of Mindfulness

Missy Smith has been at Oregon Episcopal School for over 11 years as their Associate Athletic Director. Her path to this position included stops as a Division 1 basketball player at Gonzaga and Oregon State. Both schools were instrumental in helping her define what student athlete Well Being means to her. There is no doubt, OES is a leader when it comes to taking care of the student athlete on and off the field and that begins with what Missy and Dennis Sullivan have done. This is a deeper dive into what could make your experience as a Student Athlete or an Athletic Director the best it can be for everyone involved.

Is your child hoping to play collegiate sports? Robin Bousquet, founder of Inspire PT in Beaverton, Oregon has helped numerous students athletes make the jump. Her insight will help you as a parent support your young athlete. We talk nutrition, choosing the right coach, and making sure our bodies are prepared for the rigor of college sports. Plus, what about us old farts? The weekend warriors who want to relive our college days every 7 days? Sprains, strains, pulls, tears can all be a part of our existence. Robin helps explain the best way to make sure that doesn't happen to you. 

If you only associate Physical Therapy with recovering from an injury then this episode could change the trajectory of your athlete future. Robin Bousquet, founder of Inspire PT in Beaverton, Oregon joins us to talk about how Physical Therapy can be used to help return you to you previous levels of performance but also prevent you from injury in the first place. She discusses how Junior High, High School and Collegiate student athletes can take certain steps and actually attain their best performance. We discuss weight lifting, Overuse injuries, Stretching and yoga and more in the first part of the 2 part interview. 

What is this podcast about? What is Mindfulness? Let me share with you why as an athlete this is a podcast you should add to your weekly routine. As a former Division 1 tennis player and current High School Tennis and basketball Coach, I have had the chance to work with many levels of athletes and what I have found separates the very best from the average is the mental game. But nobody teaches that. Rather than preach and talk at you, I thought it would be best to go out and hear from the experts in the fields of Mindfulness, Meditation, Nutrition, Mental Health and Development and allow them the chance to help you learn how to become the best Student Athlete you can be. Now, even if you are beyond your Student Athlete years, there might be something in here that helps you either become a better model for the Student Athletes in your house or maybe you can be the best Weekend Warrior on the block. Either way, I hope you take a few minutes this week to listen to one of our podcasts. We will have new ones up each week and I am always looking for people to interview. So if you have ideas, send me a note and give me a suggestion. I am in this to help you develop into the Athlete you have always wanted to be, so let's do this together.

In part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Samantha Graham of State of Mind in Sydney Australia, we unload. Learn about Rapid Reset or as she likes to call it Meditation by Stealth. Plus, if you have ever been in the Zone or just want to get there, she explains how you can do it every day. Your mind is a muscle and it needs training, it needs a mantra, do you have one yet? Sam's advice at the end really tops off this loaded two part podcast. If you have the time, listen to them back to back and transform your game.

Dr. Samantha Graham out of Sydney Australia has worked on Mindfulness in the boardrooms of the BBC and Nestle and on the pitch with Russel Crowe's Rugby team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, when they won the NRL Premiership. She teaches athletes how they can use their Body, Mind and Breath to transform themselves into better performers in any sport. Whether it's Vagus Breathing, her go to tool or Shaking it out, listen and learn some of the ways she has discovered can make you the best athlete you can be.