The Mental Matchup

#86: Today we’re sitting down with Katie Kuzma. Katie is currently a freshman at a community college in Warrenton, VA, and will be attending Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA in the fall of 2023 to play soccer. In the episode, Katie talks about her experience with her recruiting process and how she struggled throughout the process. She also touches on how she came to the decision to step away from soccer and take time for herself to work through her mental health.

#85: Today we’re sitting down with former Division 1 baseball student-athlete and professional baseball player, Dario Pizzano. Dario joins us today to discuss his experience playing professional baseball, how his transition from professional sports to a “desk job” has impacted his mental health, his ability to ask for help, and his passion project, Mission Stadiums for Multiple Sclerosis a non-profit whose mission is to raise awareness of MS while raising funds and hoping to find a cure for MS.

In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Lexi Guerin. Lexi is based out of Minnesota and plays lacrosse at Arizona State University. Throughout the episode, Lexi walks us through transferring to boarding school in high school, why she decided to play collegiate lacrosse, and her recruiting process. It’s a jam-packed, ca n’t-miss episode!

 In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Jenna Mango. Jenna is a certified personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist and the author of the book Choose to R1se. The book focuses on striving to become the best version of yourself and ultimately getting 1% better every day. Throughout the episode, Jenna touches on her experience with bullying, therapy, and dealing with an invisible illness. Her book and the story that she shares with us on the podcast is a great reminder to rise up and tackle whatever may be in front of you with confidence!

 In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat connects with Emily Markley. Emily is a player on the Washington College women’s lacrosse team and grew up in Fauquier County, VA. During the episode Emily talks about her recruiting process, the importance of teammates and coaches having candid conversations about mental health, and being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Emily also shared a beautiful story titled “Those Two Words'' so don’t forget to check that out after listening to this episode on The Mental Matchup site!

 In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Kelsey Thoensen. Kelsey is from New Holland, Pennsylvania, and played collegiate lacrosse at Slippery Rock University. During her senior year of school, she was diagnosed with Melanoma and also developed a stress fracture in her hip that prohibited her from playing lacrosse. During the episode, Kelsey shares how each difficult event in her life initially seemed like the worst thing in the world, but how she managed to get through each setback and ultimately discover her love of coaching.

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat and Schuyler speak with Ky Lane. Ky grew up in Maryland and fell in love with the sport of lacrosse. During the episode, Ky opens up about his intrusive thoughts, the importance of prioritizing your own happiness, and his efforts to get his friends to open up about their feelings. Ky is currently a social media influencer and pursuing his acting career. We are so grateful to have him on the podcast to share his experience and wisdom with our audience!

 In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Kayla Mitchell. Kayla grew up in Long Island surrounded by an Italian family that sparked her interest in food. During the episode, Kayla opens up about how her knowledge of food turned into a fear of food and how diet culture impacted her early in high school. She also talks about her experience in a residential eating disorder program and starting intensive outpatient treatment. Kayla is extremely open and honest throughout the episode and we are so appreciative to have her join us and share her story. After listening to Kayla’s episode, go check out her 3 stories posted to The Mental Matchup stories site titled “Life Map”, “Avoidance” and “Writing”!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat and Schuyler are joined by Jarett LoRusso. Jarett grew up in Purcellville, VA, and is currently getting his Master’s degree at the University of Richmond. Throughout the episode, Jarett walks us through his recruiting process, being injured for the majority of his career, and how his relationships benefitted when he opened up about his feelings.