The Mental Matchup

On today’s episode, we are joined by Glenn Østen Anderson. Glenn has been a professional media producer for over 20 years and is now an Associate Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Catholic University. He grew up as an athlete and competed at some of the highest levels for race walking. He saw firsthand how the experience of mental health can alter an athlete’s performance and how identity can be tied to your sport. Glenn is working on a documentary that focuses on mental health in student-athletes. We are so excited to have him on the podcast and we can’t wait to watch his film in the future!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Jerry Dorneker. Jerry lost his daughter to suicide in 2020 and speaks candidly about the grief you experience as a parent after losing a child. He also opens up about finding strength through faith and how he has found purpose in pain. In addition to him sharing his own side of the story as a parent, he shares what he would tell someone having suicidal thoughts to express that they are not alone.

You can find more about Jerry here!
Listen to Jerry on “Three Questions, Three Drinks”
The Mental Matchup
Morgan’s Message

CW: mentions suicide

#122: In our second episode of Season 7, Emily Monahan-Morang, M.Ed., LPCC joins The Mental Matchup. Emily shares her journey working with athletes and performers and helps talk through the difference between mental health services and sport and performance. She also helps talk through how student-athletes can help others who are struggling and how to find a therapist that is best for you.

Welcome back to Season 7 of The Mental Matchup! To kick off the new season, we are joined by Alexa Beyer. Alexa plays Division I lacrosse at Youngstown State and got inspired to start playing after watching her brothers pick up the sport. During the episode, Alexa and Kat talk about her experiences handling an injury and the mental health struggles that come with recovery. She also touches on how academic challenges can also impact your overall mental wellbeing and the importance of approaching each situation with a positive mindset.

This week, we are joined by Rares Judele during our final episode of Season 6. Rares is a Morgan’s Message Ambassador and mental health advocate. He was born in Romania and attends Wooster High School in Wooster, OH. Rares is a multi-sport athlete who shares mental health's role in his own life. He speaks about switching sports, dealing with his emotions, and learning how to vocalize what he is going through. Rares touches on an important topic, adversity, and the impact that it has had on his overall development as a student-athlete and individual. He has also shared his journey on our Mental Matchup Stories site, which you can check out after listening to the podcast episode!

In this week’s episode, Abbey Sallila joins Kat on The Mental Matchup. Abbey is a junior at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, majoring in psychology and is also a member of the women’s lacrosse team. During her sophomore year of college, Abbey faced multiple injury setbacks and talks us through how she dealt with each experience and overcame them. She highlights the importance of a strong support system and you can also go check out her story featured on The Mental Matchup Stories site titled “Progress Isn’t Linear”!

A special episode this week, Emily Weible joins The Mental Matchup to chat about brain health and mental health. Emily graduated from Washington State University in 2019 and is currently in grad school at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, teaching an undergraduate course and a lab each semester. Emily recently started a coaching business called Brain+Body Foundations where she offers strength and conditioning and mentorship platforms.

This week, Emily Weible joins The Mental Matchup. Emily graduated from Washington State University in 2019 and is currently in grad school at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, teaching an undergraduate course and a lab each semester. Emily rowed in college at WSU and opens up about the importance of finding a community outside of sport, educating others about suicidality and self advocating for yourself. Emily recently started a coaching business called Brain+Body Foundations where she offers strength and conditioning and mentorship platforms.

This week on The Mental Matchup, Brooke Kelly joins the podcast. Brooke is on the women’s lacrosse team at Lander University. She opens up about how her love of lacrosse started, how she learned that it’s ok when things don't go perfectly, and what drew her to the school she eventually transferred to. Brooke emphasizes the importance of being grateful and we are so grateful that she is on The Mental Matchup!

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#115: This week, Dan Maigler and Mags Roemer join Kat on The Mental Matchup. Dan and Mags both work for Paws for Patrick, a non-profit organization connecting young people with Emotional Support Animals and therapy dogs to help with their mental health. They discuss why the organization was founded, the benefits of having an emotional support animal and how Paws for Patrick works!

Check out Dan’s podcast, Not Allowed to Die

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