The Sideline Perspective Podcast

What happens when it's time to move on from a high flying adrenaline sport like aerials skiing? How do you ensure that you land on two feet on the other side of the transition? Alex Bowen's answer: planning ahead, staying connected with friends, and not taking life too seriously (just yet).

Alex did his first backflip at 15 at the one and only Buffalo Ski Club and has been hooked on air ever since. After graduating from high school in 2010 he moved to Utah with dreams of making the U.S. Aerial Ski Team and going even bigger. Alex has recently retired from World Cup Level competitions and is pursuing his teaching license at Westminster College, SLC.

Learn More About Alex & Aerials Skiing:

Instagram: @flowinbowen
Aerials Skiing 101: https://www.usskiandsnowboard.org/news/aerial-skiing-101

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Join Our Community Platform: https://the-sideline-perspective.tribe.so/ 
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

Leeann Passaro played elite club soccer throughout her childhood and into high school before continuing on to play at Washington & Lee University. The Division 3 athlete experience allowed Leeann to dive into other passions, as well as study abroad for a full semester in Australia, where she picked up the sport of rugby. After graduating this past May, Leeann began a full-time teaching job at a private school in Florida, where she also coaches two varsity sports. Leeann also serves as the Chief Operations Officer at The Hidden Opponent, a non-profit founded by social media influencer, Victoria Garrick, to eliminate the stigma of mental illness in athletes.

Learn More About Leeann & The Hidden Opponent:

Instagram: @leeannp27 @thehiddenopponent
Website: https://thehiddenopponent.com
Facebook: The Hidden Opponent
Victoria Garrick's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdk7pLpbIls

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Join Our Community Platform: https://the-sideline-perspective.tribe.so/ 
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

Today's episode is a conversation with Nikki Bondura all about her transition from competing in Golf to working in sports media. Her story reminds us that success is not always linear and good things come with hard work, patience, and perseverance...

Nikki played golf at Sacramento State, where she was also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Host of Go Green Army TV. Upon graduation, she created Nikki B Golf where she reviews anything and everything golf including products, travel, fashion, and fitness. Nikki currently works as a Social Media Correspondent for Golf Channel, Host for Max Prep's Play Like A Girl, and Ambassador for Adidas Golf and California Family Fitness. 

Learn More About Nikki:

Website: https://www.nikkibgolf.com/
Instagram: @nikkibgolf & @nikkibacademy

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Join Our Community Platform: https://the-sideline-perspective.tribe.so/ 
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

The "bigger, faster, better" athletic mindset around training is something that helps us to be successful at our sport. But what happens when we're no longer in that competitive zone or required to perform? What does strength and fitness look like then? As a strength coach and former competitive athlete, Deacon advocates for finding a sustainable lifestyle around training after sport.

Deacon Andrews is a dad first and foremost that loves being out in the mountains and chasing the stoke that comes along with both those things.  He has built a career around helping others enjoy life outside of the gym by making them more durable and prepared for those adventures.

Learn More About Deacon and The Wrecking Crew:

Instagram: @thewreckingcrew2020
Instagram: @sisustrong

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Join Our Community Platform: https://the-sideline-perspective.tribe.so/ 
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

"I had not intentionally chose the sport because I loved it, but because I happened to be good at it. 

As this phase of my life drew to a close, looking forward to what lay in store next felt both exhilarating and agonizingly scary. This time I knew I had to be intentional about searching for a purpose, but I had no idea where to begin..."  - Amy

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 in their lives.

Amy is a former Canadian national swim team member, D1 athlete at Dartmouth College, and Academic All-Ivy. She competed on the national and international stages throughout her career, including the 2012 Olympic Trials, and was captain of the Dartmouth Swimming & Diving team her senior year. Her 16 year career ended in 2017 when she graduated college, though she has remained an avid recreational athlete. Today, she lives in New York City and works in brand strategy consulting.

More about Amy:

Read her story: https://thesidelineperspective.com/shifting-purpose-and-purposeful-shifts/

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Join Our Community Platform: https://the-sideline-perspective.tribe.so/ 
Connect with Mac: [email protected]

Hanna played Division I hockey at Bemidji State University, and graduated as a senior captain with a BSc in Business Administration, Emphasis in Marketing. Following graduation, she played professional hockey in Sweden (SDHL) for HV71 while completing her Master of Business Administration (specialization International Marketing). As she holds dual citizenship with Canada and Sweden, she was also fortunate enough to attend the Swedish Women’s National Team Pre-Olympic Training Camp (June 2017).

While high-level hockey came to a close, the professional doors started to open, and it was time to start the job hunt. Though she knew that being an athlete would be pretty attractive to some employers in addition to her resume, she noticed that there were no “boxes to check” when it came to showcasing her unique background and skills gained through high-level sport on the traditional job sites. This is when Post Game Professions came to fruition.

Learn More About Hanna and Post Game Professions:

Website: https://postgameprofessions.com/
Instagram (personal): @hannamoher
Instagram (travel): @thepassportprofessional
Instagram (PGP): @postgameprofessions

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective
Online Community: https://the-sideline-perspective.tribe.so/

Welcome back to The Sideline Perspective podcast! We kick off Season 2 with Amanda Johanson, a former gymnast and aerials ski jumper. She competed at the University of Denver from 2007-2011 on a full ride scholarship. After graduation she moved to New Zealand and coached elite gymnasts to the Commonwealth games, World Championships, and Pacific Rim. She has her bachelors in graphic design and is currently working towards her MA in psychology as she juggles being a new mama to a little boy!

We discuss why coaching can be such an attractive next step for retiring athletes, how it can impact our transition, and why it’s not for everyone…

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

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

Mac and Sam talk about the behind the seasons of creating Season One of The Sideline Perspective Podcast. They touch on highlights from both a host and listener point of view and even reveal some exciting previews of Season Two and other developments at TSP.

A note from Mac:
"Thank you to all the listeners and subscribers that make this show such a rewarding experience! The conversations I've been able to have with guests have been life changing and I hope you guys as listeners feel the same. Let's keep supporting each other as totalteammates and get through these crazy times together. Catch you next season!"

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

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

It can be hard to navigate our bodies as they change throughout our athletic career. In some cases body image relates to performance... and in other cases it doesn't. We have to dodge societal expectations, personal narratives, expectations of coaches and teammates, and more - it can get a little overwhelming. What happens to that athlete-body relationship when we leave our sport? In Ellen's experience it can get mixed up even more...

Ellen Renk is a multi-passionate athlete and entrepreneur in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.  As a Health & Lifestyle Coach and a Speaker, she helps current and former athletes gain confidence in food, their bodies, and their worth outside the gym.  She’s passionate about starting conversations and raising awareness about the topics that nobody ever addressed with her.  Conversations that - had she had when she was younger - could have drastically changed and improved her performance and her life.  Through her speaking, programs, and 1:1 coaching, athletes develop confidence to make decisions that allow them to perform better in their sport, and be happier with who they are and in their life.

Learn More About Ellen:

Website: https://ellenrenk.com
Instagram: @ellenrenk

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective

Every athlete in the world right now is sidelined due to COVID - how are we coping with it? How are we finding opportunities to train, to learn, and improve in our sport while balancing concerns for our mental health and physical safety. It's a fine line, one that Frankie dives into in this week's episode.

Frankie graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018, where she played on the D1 Varsity women’s rugby team and had the opportunity to represent the USA on the Collegiate All-American rugby team and the US Women’s National Team. After graduation, she moved to Northern England to continue her rugby career and pursue her Master’s. Upon completion of her degree, she moved back to the US, got a job in medical education in New York City, and immediately joined the New York Rugby Club. She was developing a balanced routine that allowed her to work full-time, while still train at a high level when Covid-19 sidelined her and her teammates. As Vice-President of her team, she represents the New York Rugby Club on the board of the Women’s Premier League for USA Rugby, where she is helping to shape what a safe return to play plan could look like for all players across the US. During quarantine, she is navigating what it means to motivate herself to train on her own while not knowing when she will be able to return to her sport, working from home, and discovering new passions.

Connect with Frankie:

Instagram: @francescabsands

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Learn more about The Sideline Perspective:

Website: http://thesidelineperspective.com
Submit Your Story: http://thesidelineperspective.com/submit/
Instagram: @thesidelineperspective