Kate Sharabura joins us on the pod today to chat about her time playing Division 1 tennis at Georgia Tech before ultimately turning pro. Kate has a unique story as she started as a walk-on who rose through the rankings and became an All-American in doubles. She now competes predominantly on the ITF and UTR Pro circuits and has played 2 seasons with INTENNSE tennis. Listen in to hear us discuss how she became so successful in doubles, the benefits of playing college tennis, and how she enjoyed jumping back into the team atmosphere with INTENNSE.

(00:00) Intro

(01:50) Kate’s background

(04:00) D1 tennis career

(05:25) Doubles success

(11:52) From walk-on to All-American

(13:54) Importance of academics alongside athletics

(15:26) Deciding to go pro and the benefits of college tennis

(16:45) Pro circuit breakdown (ITF and UTR)

(25:15) Motivation

(25:22) INTENNSE league vs pro tour lifestyle

(39:30) Superstitions

(41:30) Experiencing the yips

(45:05) Outro

We have a fantastic guest this week - Sophie Chang! A WTA player with a career high ranking of No. 217 in singles and No. 59 in doubles. She has been inactive on the tour for the past year due to injury, but decided to test herself this summer by playing INTENNSE - a team-based, pro league which has completely changed viewership of tennis. We also get into how Sophie has turned to coaching during her time off, what it’s really like to play at the highest level, focusing on a mastery mindset, and reducing burnout and finding new passion in competition. 

(00:00) Intro

(01:30) Pro-am shenanigans and getting pegged in doubles

(03:53) Anya’s concussion protocol

(05:25) Dealing with injuries and plans to return to the WTA Tour

(09:57) Freezing rankings

(11:15) From playing to coaching

(15:12) Mastery vs performance-oriented mindset

(18:50) Turning pro as a teen

(23:00) How the Tour has evolved

(25:25) Choosing pro over college

(32:14) INTENNSE pro league

(56:46) Finding enjoyment in playing again

(59:25) Music as an outlet

(01:04:00) Superstitions

(01:06:00) Outro

Welcome to Season 2 of Yips and Giggles! We are so excited to be back! If you are new here, you've chosen a great episode to start with because there is a lot going on in college sports right now! The NCAA has announced the 5-for-5 rule which changes eligibility and is not as clear cut as some may think. So, we do a deep dive into this new ruling that impacts athletes, coaches, and teams - but we also go further into NIL - what it is, how athletes are taking advantage of it, and what it might mean for the future of college sports.

00:00 Intro

02:15 Episode overview

03:06 Before we get into it -> have we made it?

05:33 US Open chat

10:24 Media day for athletes then vs now

11:41 UCONN basketball documentary

15:42 NCAA rulings and 5-for-5 breakdown

31:54 NIL: what is it and how are athletes and programs using it?

40:00 Financials and scholarships

51:39 Advertising in college sports

55:31 Outro

The World Cup group stage delivered unforgettable fan moments in incredible host cities, shocking upsets, and lots of competitive games ending in draws. So, we wanted to break down the biggest stories on and off the pitch, from Canada's historic run and Cape Verde's Cinderella story to Roy Keane's WAG comments, and what it's really like following a team during the WC. Plus, why this tournament is proving that football really does bring the world together. 

(00:00) Intro

(01:30) Team kits

(03:15) World Cup fans taking over

(11:27) New group stage format: underdogs succeeding and big dogs falling

(16:19) Host countries to the knockouts

(17:37) Media negativity and rotating players

(21:11) Behind the scenes

(23:18) Team WAG

(27:50) Reporter’s inappropriately commenting on personal matters

(31:33) Host country doubts silenced

(32:29) Outro

For our final episode of this season, we are giving everyone a quick preview of the World Cup, and this episode is great for anyone who is a little unfamiliar with how the World Cup works! This World Cup is quite different than most because of the travel, weather, ticket prices, and overall structure of the tournament. So, we will be breaking down all of those topics along with a look into how teams prepare for the biggest competition in soccer (or football depending on where you live). 

(00:00) Intro

(01:42) Soccer vs football

(02:23) Season 2 of Yips and Giggles

(03:52) Overview of the World Cup: host cities, travel, weather

(06:50) How this World Cup is different: group stage structure

(09:45) Home World Cup!

(10:36) Ticket prices

(13:05) Breaking down the groups

(15:15) How hard is it to win the WC?

(18:26) Team preparation: training camps and friendlies

(22:12) Roster selection

(27:32) WC qualification

(28:12) Blonde moment

(28:45) Who are we rooting for?

(29:55) Games we are going to!

(30:56) Outro

In this episode, we explore the challenges athletes face when transitioning through and beyond competitive sport. From retirement and identity shifts to adjusting to university athletics, we discuss coping strategies, athletic identity, finding purpose outside of sport, and more. We also share the inspiration behind Peyton’s new program: Aligned Performance Coaching and how ACT-based psychological skills can help athletes navigate change, build confidence, and create fulfilling, values-driven lives both on and off the field.

(00:00) Intro

(00:40) French Open predictions and prize money news

(08:16) Overview: athlete career transitions and Peyton’s new program!

(09:30) Anya’s personal retirement experience

(12:47) Peyton’s personal retirement experience

(14:25) Work vs student-athlete exhaustion

(16:12) Finding purpose

(20:58) Peyton’s research: initial reactions to retirement

(26:22) End of career circumstances

(30:57) Learning how to exercise and fuel your body again

(37:00) Exploring identities outside of athletics

(42:20) Transferring skills into careers outside of sport

(42:55) Feeling behind after retiring

(44:16) Maintaining connections to your sport

(46:45) Changes in your social circle

(50:00) Transition from high school to university as a student-athlete

(55:15) Aligned Performance Coaching - check it out at www.alignedpc.com!

(01:08:50) Outro

Guess who’s back?! Alex Fitzpatrick - now a PGA Tour player (which still feels surreal to say) - joins us again on the pod to talk about the whirlwind month he’s had. We chat about Alex winning the Zurich Classic alongside his brother, Matt, earning his PGA Tour card and an exemption through 2028, nearly winning again at the Truist Championship, and competing in his first PGA championship. It has been incredible to watch Alex succeed, and we get into all the behind-the-scenes action - the nerves during the big moments, the flood of DMs after the big win, and how he’s handling the spotlight. 

(00:00) Intro

(01:07) The adrenaline rush of earning a PGA Tour card

(04:44) No time to celebrate!

(05:52) Behind-the-scenes of the Zurich Classic win

(14:46) Shout out to the caddies!

(16:08) Alex’s experience at Truist

(18:00) Casual Michael Jordan and Luis Figo DM

(19:00) Golf tan lines

(21:42) PGA Championship: an early wake up!

(25:05) Breakdown of Truist

(29:20) The differences between the DP World Tour and PGA

(31:22) Alex received a warm welcome onto the Tour

(33:16) Handling media attention

(40:04) What’s next for Alex?

(41:23) Yips and Giggles summer

(42:40) Should Alex become a golf influencer?

(44:39) Outro

This week, we get into youth sports and talent development environments - both very important and debated topics that can play a huge role in an individual’s route to success. This episode is especially valuable for parents who aren’t quite sure when, why, or how they should be introducing sports to their kids. We discuss talent transfer, early specialization vs diversification, and helpful attitudes that parents and coaches can bring to an environment. At the start of the show, we also give a few updates on what’s happening in the sports world, including the LIV tour, the future of college tennis, and a new PGA tour player has entered the chat!

(00:00) Intro

(00:40) Shoutout to Alex Fitzpatrick for getting his PGA tour card

(02:38) LIV tour updates

(04:36) Arkansas tennis update

(08:13) Pro and college sports are supposed to be different! 

(10:24) Media and TV deals

(15:07) International recruiting

(21:04) Future of non-revenue sports

(27:17) Youth development environments

(28:30) What makes a successful talent development environment?

(30:58) Playing the right way for long-term development

(33:00) Downside to early selection

(35:50) Travel teams

(38:47) What should young athletes focus on?

(41:13) How should coaches and parents develop young athletes?

(43:51) Early specialization vs sampling sports debate

(54:52) Sport as a “job”

(56:00) Talent transfer

(1:04:20) Outro

We're back with Part 2 of recruiting and college visits--because there are just too many good stories to tell. We chat about getting ghosted by schools, hosting recruits, and just overall mistakes we have seen people make during their visits. We also break down what programs might look for and the kinds of questions you should ask during your visits or conversations with coaches.

(00:00) Intro

(00:18) What coaches look for when recruiting

(2:45) Being a versatile player

(6:00) Sampling vs specialization in sports

(7:56) Coaches are ALWAYS watching

(09:23) Grind in the back draws

(10:44) Recruiting red flags

(12:51) Recruiting green flags

(14:03) Recruiting visits! Our experiences and the dos and don’ts

(26:16) Outro

We've got important updates this week from both collegiate and professional tennis. After that, we discuss the recruiting process--what goes on behind the scenes, how to choose the right program for you, and the difficulties international athletes face when coming to the US to compete.

(00:00) Intro 

(00:18) News this week: Arkansas tennis discontinued & Alcaraz out of French Open

(04:15) Individual NCAAs permanently moved to the fall season

(07:24) NFL draft: the interview portion

(14:25) Recruiting process

(17:25) Different scholarship numbers per sport

(19:54) NIL and recruitment

(21:00) Cutting a tennis team for flag football?

(22:00) Recruiting is a 2-way street and what to ask yourself during the process

(24:22) Don’t rush your decision

(25:30) Breaking down the logistics

(28:07) Verbal commitments

(28:58) Our own recruiting experiences: communicating with schools and committing

(35:45) Managing expectations and making realistic goals

(37:00) International athletes playing in the US

(44:05) Outro