The Mental Matchup

This week we have a special holiday podcast episode! Kat is joined by a close friend and mental health advocate Leeann Passaro. Leeann is the COO of The Hidden Opponent, a non-profit focused on breaking the stigma of mental health in athletics. During the episode, Kat and Leeann sit down to chat about different lessons they’ve learned throughout the past year and things they will take with them into 2023. Don’t forget to check out The Hidden Opponent’s instagram @thehiddenopponent. Thank you to everyone for your support this past year and cheers to the New Year!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Emily Cole. Emily is a collegiate athlete on the Duke University Cross Country team. Emily is candid about her own experience with food and how seemingly “health eating” can potentially be detrimental mentally and physically. As an athlete, it’s important to recognize the importance of prioritizing your health in order to optimize performance. As a female athlete, we are lucky to have Emily on the podcast to share her own story and continue a dialogue surrounding how your body performs versus how you look. Check out her book, The Player’s Plate, on Amazon!

 In today’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Tori Bates. Tori grew up in Maryland and played collegiate lacrosse at the University of Florida. Throughout the episode, Tori opens up about her experience as an athlete dealing with multiple injuries and the different side effects that many people can experience, like more restricted eating and depression. Tori and Kat also discuss the importance of focusing on the overall long-term health of herself both mentally and physically. After listening to the podcast, don’t forget to check out Tori’s story “More Than a Number” on the Morgan’s Message site under The Mental Matchup Podcast: Stories!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, we are joined by Kristyna Bertolone aka “Coach K”. Coach K is a former collegiate softball player and founded Game Changers, a platform that specializes in mental performance coaching. In the episode, Kat and Coach K cover many valuable topics such as controlling the controllables, reacting vs responding to a situation, and asking yourself important questions such as “who are you at your best” to optimize personal and sports performance. After listening to the episode, go check out Game Changers site and social media presence on Instagram and TikTok!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat speaks with Jillian Schumacher. After going through the recruiting process for lacrosse, Jillian ultimately decided not to play in college and attend Ohio State. Once she got to Ohio State, Jillian realized she should’ve pursued college lacrosse and transferred to UMass Lowell. Throughout the episode, Jillian opens up about her own recruiting process, transferring to go play lacrosse at a Division I program, and experiencing anxiety while playing. She also touches on the impact that a positive mindset can have on an individual's sports performance. Thank you for coming on and sharing your story, Jillian!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat is joined by Kaitlyn Coffman. Kaitlyn is from California and a senior on The Ohio State University softball team. Growing up, she dealt with softball being her entire identity, focusing on her performance over different relationships within her life. During the episode, Kaitlyn discusses her experience of finding a friend attempting suicide and also her own mental health struggles. She is also open about her therapy and medication and we are lucky to have her as a guest this week to share her story!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat connects with Maxwell Nagle. Max grew up in Northern Virginia and always had a love for sports. His love for basketball drew him to try out for the Hollins University basketball team where he earned a walk-on position to the team. Throughout the episode, Max opens up about his experience starting to use he/him pronouns at an all girls college. He also discusses the differences between having small and big feelings and how you can find a strong support system to help manage these feelings. Max is extremely open during the episode and we are lucky to have him join us this week!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Casey Kroll. Casey played football at James Madison University in Virginia and is currently the CEO and co-founder of The Big Man Foundation. The organization was founded in 2021 after the passing of his former coach to help provide social, emotional, and financial support for coaches and their families who are dealing with difficult times due to illness or other unexpected circumstances. Throughout the episode, Casey opens about his experience with college football, the importance of having a supportive coach, and the impact that coaches can have on players.

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat sits down with Audrey Stringer. Audrey played college volleyball at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and graduated in 2016. Throughout the episode, Audrey opens up about different coping mechanisms that she dealt with while dealing with anxiety and how hypnosis and meditation can be amazing tools to start healing. She is extremely open about her journey and we are lucky to have her on the podcast!

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Kat talks with Chuck Thuss. Chuck is a Canadian native who played professional ice hockey and is currently a public speaker. Chuck played collegiate ice hockey at Miami University in Ohio before continuing his career as a professional hockey player for many seasons. After playing and coaching, he became a Certified Professional Coach and started Compassionate Connection, a platform that helps individuals live up to their full potential and achieve their goals. Throughout the episode, Kat and Chuck go over his own hockey experience, the importance of a strong support system and how his own journey has shaped his job now of helping others.