The Mental Matchup

#159 - In this episode, I sit down with Ellie Haney, a 26-year-old mental health advocate and founder of Here For You Clothing. Born out of her own mental health journey during the height of the pandemic, Ellie's mission is to create meaningful conversations and community through intentional fashion.

Ellie opens up about her struggles, the healing power of creativity, and how a simple phrase—“Here For You”—became the foundation of a movement. Alongside her best friend and managing partner, Emma Kilbride, Ellie has turned a powerful message into a brand that shows up on college campuses, in classrooms, and on streets across the country.

Shop Here For You Clothing at hereforyouclothing.com
Use code MENTALMATCHUP for 20% off your order!
You can find Ellie at @e_hanes
You can find here for you at @hereforyouclothing

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In this episode of The Mental Matchup, we sit down with Emma Reen, to discuss her journey through sports, mental health challenges, and the lessons she's learned along the way. She opens up about resilience, self-discovery, and the importance of breaking the stigma around mental health in athletics. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that reminds us all that we are never alone in our struggles.9

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In this week's episode, Kat sits down with Sophia Burke. Sophia's had a unique experience, navigating her mental health and her battle with addiction. Sophia talks about her experience with alcohol, playing collegiate lacrosse, relationships and the path to sobriety and healing. She's now in a place to reflect on the past couple of years and takes us on a truly inspiring journey.

Trigger warning: suicide, depression, anxiety, sexual assault, alcohol usage and disordered eating

Presented by Morgan’s Message
IG: morgansmessage

In this episode, Kat chats with Kori Toms, a Le Moyne College soccer player who opens up about her journey as a student-athlete and the mental and emotional challenges she’s faced along the way.

Topics Discussed:

The emotional impact of her mom’s breast cancer diagnosis and how her family became her foundation of support.

Navigating the recruiting process during COVID and transitioning to Division I soccer at Le Moyne College.

Discovering the importance of mental health in high school, managing a lingering knee injury, and finding balance through outlets beyond her sport.

This episode is a powerful reminder of the importance of leaning on your support system, finding safe spaces, and prioritizing mental health as an athlete.

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Today Kat’s joined by Gianna Burgio, a cross country and track athlete from Rowan University with a passion for empowering the next generation of runners. Gianna opens up about her journey through high school, where she struggled with an eating disorder that went undiagnosed. She shares how running became a part of her life, the lessons she’s learned about food, sports, and self-love, and her mission to ensure young athletes—especially young women—know the importance of both nourishing their bodies and finding joy in their passions.

Topics Discussed:

Gianna’s introduction to running and how it shaped her identity

Her experience navigating an undiagnosed eating disorder during high school

The connection between food, performance, and mental health in young athletes

Her aspirations to give back to her community as a teacher and coach

Advice for young female athletes about self-love and the joy of sport

Connect with Gianna here

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In this powerful episode, Jeremy Wolf, former DIII baseball player turned professional athlete and mental performance advocate, shares his incredible journey through sports and life. From being drafted by the New York Mets to helping Israel qualify for the Olympics, Jeremy reflects on the highs and lows of his career, including grappling with identity, mental health struggles, and finding purpose beyond the field.

Today, Jeremy runs MindReady, a company dedicated to providing athletes with accessible mental performance coaching. Join us as we discuss his inspiring story, lessons learned from failure, and how he’s revolutionizing athlete support with MindReady.

What You'll Learn:

Jeremy's transition from DIII baseball to professional sports.

The struggles of identity and mental health athletes face.

Lessons from founding More Than Baseball and forming the MiLBPA union.

How MindReady is making mental performance coaching affordable and accessible.

Links & Resources:

Learn more about MindReady here

You can follow MindReady on IG here

Get in touch with Morgan’s Message here

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In this episode, Bella Griffin shares her journey of resilience and self-discovery. From San Diego to the sand courts of Tulane, Bella’s athletic career has been shaped by both her passion for beach volleyball and her perseverance through back-to-back ACL tears.

She opens up about:

Overcoming Challenges: Facing two ACL tears during high school and navigating surgeries, redshirting freshman year of college and physical therapy.

Mental Health Struggles: The impact of injuries on her mental health and the transformative moment of asking for help.

Athlete Identity: Rediscovering herself outside of sports and finding new joys in life.

Gratitude: The invaluable support from her family, coaches, teammates, and PT team.

Bella’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of seeking support, and the beauty of finding balance beyond the game.

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Join us for an incredible conversation with Dr. Haley Perlus, an accomplished Sport and Performance Psychology Practitioner, as she shares her expertise on mastering the mental game. Drawing from her competitive Alpine ski racing background and a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology, Dr. Perlus brings practical insights for anyone willing to listen.

In this episode, we dive into:

Athlete Identity and Transition: Strategies for redefining self-worth and thriving beyond sports.

Handling Performance Pressure: Tangible techniques to harness pressure and build resilience.

Normalizing Emotions in High Performance: How to embrace emotions as tools for growth.

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Haley Perlus’s book: Personal Podium: How to Use Your Mind to Maximize Your Potential in Sport and Life (buy it here!)

Learn more about Dr. Perlus: LinkedIn / Youtube

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This week, we're excited to have Lindsey Ronbeck back on the podcast! We’re talking all about friendships – from the teammate relationships to navigating life post-college without that shared common goal.

Ever wonder how to find like-minded friends after college? Or which friendships to lean into versus lean out of? We’re diving into all that, plus tips for staying mentally strong in a social media-driven world.

Lindsey and Kat discuss:

Teammate Connections: How relationships with teammates evolve when sharing the bond of college sports.

Post-Grad Friendships: Navigating friendships once you're no longer working toward a shared athletic goal.

Evaluating Friendships: Knowing which friendships bring you joy and deciding who to lean into versus who to lean out of.

Social Media's Impact: Discussing how social media can shape your mental health and self-worth in relation to friendships.

Making New Friends Post-College: Tips on building meaningful connections with like-minded people after school.

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In this episode, Kat sits down with Abby Bosco, a former lacrosse player at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland. Known for her powerful presence on defense, Abby was named the Athletes Unlimited 2023 Defender of the Year. Her accolades also include being a two-time IWLCA First Team All-Region pick, a Big Ten Defender of the Year, and a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award.

Key Topics:

1.Inspiration and Legacy: Abby hopes to inspire young girls in the lacrosse community to follow their dreams and find joy in what they do.

2. Personal Growth Through Lacrosse: Abby reflects on how the sport has shaped her life by connecting her with incredible people and leading her to remarkable places. She emphasizes the importance of pursuing what brings genuine happiness, ignoring outside pressures, and focusing on one’s internal joy.

3. Navigating Recruitment and Mental Health: Abby opens up about her journey through the recruitment process, her experience with the transfer portal, and her transition from Penn to Maryland. She also discusses the value of sports psychologists in her development as an athlete and a person, highlighting the significance of mental health support both on and off the field.

You can connect with Abby here!
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