Amaya is an advocate in player and identity development, whose journey bridges elite athletic performance and transformative mentorship. As a captain, two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and AVCA All-American middle blocker, she led Louisville to the Final Four in 2022—where she received the Elite 90 Award for highest GPA at the NCAA National Championship Tournament.

Despite pro volleyball opportunities, Amaya chose purpose over popularity and decide to walk away from her competitive career. 

Now, Amaya has joined the University of Kentucky volleyball staff as an assistant coach—a role that perfectly aligns with her dedication to nurturing both athletic excellence and personal identity.

Her work exemplifies how sport is the best tool for human development—and how every athlete deserves to be seen beyond their stats. 

Connect with Amaya:

IG: @amaya.shay
LinkedIn: Amaya Tillman

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

When Deon Reid was growing up in the sport of Diving, his eyes were focused on one thing: the Olympics. Dead-set on making it there, Deon sought out the right program, coach, culture, and training environment to support him on his path. That journey took him from Duke to USC, away from diving, and back to it again. This episode recounts all that he learned about himself as both an athlete and a person in the process.

Fast-forward to today, Deon is a dedicated Spin Instructor at GritCycle, known for his high energy and commitment to fitness excellence. Armed with undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California, Deon is driven to advance his career within the fitness industry. His goal is to leverage his education and passion for wellness to inspire others and make a lasting impact on their health journeys.

Connect with Deon:
 
IG: @diverreid

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

This episode features Mac and Erica as they dive into the sometimes confusing, and often overwhelming, world of therapy and mental health support. They cover why athletes can benefit from working with a therapist, the various approaches therapy can take, and tips to be sure the therapist you choose is the right fit.

Erica Curry is a former D1 athlete and now licensed therapist. During her time as a springboard diver in college, she watched her teammates struggle with various mental health issues as she fought my own battle with anxiety - leading her to the decision to become a therapist. Now, she gets to help athletes transition out of sport and manage issues like depression, grief, anxiety, perfectionism and substance use problems. She aims to equip her clients with the skills they need to have a fulfilling athletic career and life. She does this with the help of DBT and RO-DBT, both of which are skill based therapies that pave the way for her work with athletes.

Connect with Erica:

Website: https://coachericacurry.com/
Email: [email protected] 
IG: @ericacurrylmft

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

On the second "Panel Perspective" style episode, Mac is joined by two guests, and former teammates who share their thoughts on the question:

"Why have so many athletes taken up running in life after sport?"

Each panelist comes from a different running background - from ultramarathon champion to just getting started. They delve into their reasons behind picking up running post-sports, and explore its dual nature as both a simple yet infinitely complex activity. The conversation touches on personal journeys, mental health benefits, goal setting, and the importance of embracing the process over performance. They also share practical advice for newcomers on how to start running with minimal pressure and maximum enjoyment.

Panelists incude:

Elena Horton - Elena is a former D1 hockey player, an avid outdoor-adventurer, endurance athlete, traveler, and general get-out-of-her-comfort-zoner. She fully believes that we are all much more capable than we may think and that adventure is our greatest tool for learning about ourselves. Her current goal is to help others embrace the adventure in life–to discover new sources of inspiration, find the joy in temporary discomfort, and take risks on themselves so that they can be surprised by the abilities they never knew they had. Connect with Elena: https://elenahorton.com/ or @elena_horton

Morgan Turner - Morgan is a former Dartmouth and professional hockey player. Since ending her hockey career, she has transitioned to being the director of a run club called Electric Athletic Club in New York City. She has ran 4 marathons, aims to complete all 6 majors, and one day qualify to run Boston! She mostly runs for the kudos on Strava, but the physical and mental benefits of running aren't too bad either. Connect with Morgan:  @morgan.turner18

Mac Morse - Mac is the Founder of The Sideline Perspective, as well as a certified Athlete Development Specialist and professional in the Olympic and Paralympic movement. Having gone through her own experiences as a D1 athlete, she created The Sideline Perspective as a platform to shed light on the hidden challenges competitive athletes face when temporarily sidelined or no longer able to compete. In her work across various sport organizations, Mac hopes to make an impact on the culture of athletics in the United States - promoting whole athlete development and high performance as two parts of the same whole. Mac lives in Park City Utah with her husband and loves to try new sports/activities, most recently including: trail running and bike packing! Connect with Mac: @m.stonge12

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

Tyler (or TC) is best known as the one-legged Captain America and valuing kindness above all else. He is a 3x Paralympian in the sport of alpine skiing and had the honor of being voted Opening Ceremony Flag bearer for Team USA during his last Winter Paralympic Games in 2022. TC is often the positive one and strives to help others discover their passion, while understanding that life is constant journey of peaks and valleys. His passion of helping others is eclipsed only by his love of ice cream.
 
On this episode, TC shares his inspiring journey from a young athlete discovering skiing to competing on the world stage with Team USA. He dives deep into his reflections on the Paralympic movement, overcoming personal challenges, and the emotional transitions after retiring from competitive sport. Through open and heartfelt conversation, TC offers insights on embracing authenticity, the power of community, and the importance of finding joy in life's simple pleasures.

Connect with Tyler:
Website: https://www.tcskiusa.com/
IG: @tcskiusa

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

This episode is a Story Session - where athletes who have written for The Sideline Perspective website read their reflection in their own words and reflect back on what it meant to process that time of transition and change in their lives. This episode features Violet Carroll's story.

Violet is a 6th grader at the Richmond Middle School in Hanover, NH.  She has been a hockey goalie for the past 4 seasons and currently plays for the Valley Junior Warriors. In addition to hockey, she runs track and plays lacrosse. She also enjoys creative writing, singing, and annoying her brother by watching Grey's Anatomy and listening to Taylor Swift. She hopes to play college hockey someday as well as become a doctor or a teacher.

Since its inception The Sideline Perspective has been about sharing the great diversity of perspectives there are when it comes to how athletes handle being sidelined from their sport. We’ve covered different sports, different genders, different backgrounds, and now Violet’s story help shed light on how being sidelined can feel across different ages as well.

Read Violet's story: https://thesidelineperspective.com/growing-through-pain-a-youth-perspective-on-injury-recovery/

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

"Are all of the things we take from sport positive?" --- That was the question that initiated this episode with Katie Alexander, Ph.D. student and founder of "The Dark Side of Sport." We chat about sporting environments, sport culture, and power dynamics while calling out the different types of abuse individuals in sport should be aware of and looking out for.

Katherine "Katie" Alexander is a former competitive soccer player and current third-year Ph.D. at Utah State University. She primarily studies athlete abuse and maltreatment in sport settings but is also interested in positive youth development and exploring other "negative" aspects of development occurring outside of sport. In her free time, Katie enjoys lifting weights, learning, reading, and writing.

For her Ph.D. work, Katie is conducting a study on on stressful experiences in and out of sport and mental health symptomology. Please consider taking her survey: https://redcap.cehs.usu.edu/surveys/?s=JWYTKN7NFEWL899H

Note: This survey does explore aspects of childhood trauma and abuse, abuse and trauma in sport settings, adult trauma, and mental health symptoms (including anxiety, depressive, and PTSD symptoms).

Connect with Katie:
Website: https://ktalexander33.wordpress.com/
IG: @thedarksideofsport
Podcast: The Dark Side of Sport Podcast
Email: [email protected]

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

So much of success in sport comes from the people around us - whether teammates, coaches, family or friends, we rely on social support to get us to the top. So why would that change in life after sport? Truth is, it doesn't. This episode with Cory Camp dives into the ways athletes can build and benefit from a support system in life beyond competition.

A former nationally ranked swimmer, Cory Camp is the founder of the Forever Athlete Social Club, an in-person and online network of likeminded former athletes. He coaches and works with his groups on finding flow and improving holistic well-being through simplifying and optimizing their life. 

Connect with Cory:
Website: https://www.forever-athlete.com/
IG: @corycamp & @foreverathletesc

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

Facing rehab and recovery? Then you won't want to miss this episode with Registered Dietician Emily Barnhart. Emily specializes in helping athletes and active individuals "fuel their comeback" to sport. 

As The Injury RD, Emily operates from a deep-seeded nutrition philosophy that food is more than fuel.  Food is joy, celebration, community, and culture.  She believes in a whole foods approach that prioritizes balance between foods that make you want to do a happy dance at the table and foods that are helpful for whatever your athletic or health goals are at the time.  

In addition to The Injury RD, Emily has worked with collegiate and professional organizations and currently consults with the USA Volleyball men and women's court teams and USA Sled Hockey.

Connect with Emily:

Website: https://injuryrd.com/
IG: @injury_rd
Contact: https://injuryrd.com/contact

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

Ever heard of imposter syndrome? If you haven't heard the term, you've most likely felt it at some point if you've been a competitive athlete...

Imposter syndrome is the sense that you don't belong at the level you're at or don't deserve the success you've found. It's a natural feeling to have when you're wired to be driven towards perfection but its also something that can block you from recognizing the great things you have earned from the work you did put in. 

In this quick 'Sideline Short' episode, Mac shares why its so important to fight back against those imposter feelings and how a little bit off confidence can be contagious.

---
Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Connect with Mac: [email protected]