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Episode 79 welcomed Sports Illustrated copy chief Julie Kliegman! Kliegman's beat at SI covers athlete mental health; her take on how media outlets can go about telling stories of vulnerability is one I think fans, coaches, athletes, and journalists can all find useful. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Simone Biles: https://www.si.com/olympics/2020/04/29/mental-impact-of-the-pandemic-on-athletes Sarah Fuller: https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/25/sarah-fuller-vanderbilt-football-daily-cover Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 78 brought on Adelphi University Men's Basketball's Andrew Delaney. Delaney talked about the distribution of psychological resources on college campuses, the impact of resources like Morgan's Message, picking friends, and redefining "mental toughness". This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 77 brought on Team USA coxswain Jenny Sichel. Sichel, a graduate of Bryn Mawr University, spoke of her time transitioning into coxing, the adaptations she has to make for her Para Rowing boats, and what it takes to coach visually and physically-impaired rowers to international success. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality NCIL: https://ncil.org/ Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 76 brought former Cal Golden Bears defender Maggie Bell on. She spoke of the tumultuous coaching environment within the Cal Women's Soccer team, how her athletic department handled scandal, and the student-athlete advocacy work she currently does. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality CACE: https://caceanswers.com/ NCAA Transfer FAQ: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/2/13/want-to-transfer.aspx HonestGame Transfer FAQ: https://honestgame.com/2022/03/09/ncaa-transfer-portal/ Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 75 brought forth a story of physical adversity and how a sport found at 21 years old can impact the rest of your life. Meet Beth Gardner. Former Drexel University Crew member and Stage 3 Breast Cancer survivor. Her story is incredible. Thanks to everyone for helping bring SEVENTY-FIVE WEEKS of stories to Closer Mentality! I love you all. - Julia This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality "One Rowing Stroke at a Time - Surviving Stage 3 Breast Cancer for 20 Years": https://www.amazon.com/One-Rowing-Stroke-Time-Surviving-ebook/dp/B09TGC9M29 Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 74 brought on Wisconsin Women's Soccer midfielder Emma Jaskaniec. Jaskaniec detailed the anxiety she had in high school, how it manifested once she arrived in Madison, finding meditation, speaking candidly about her mental health, and leading her team to a Big 10 Championship berth for the first time since 2014. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Tackle The Stigma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzRyKuKGXRQ Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 73 brought on former Xavier University cross-country athlete Devi Jagadesan. She worked through the pressure to conform to early sport specialization, getting to a Division I school, sexual assault, developing an eating disorder, feeling threatened on campus, Title IX, and how she used writing as an outlet to help heal her trauma. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality National Sexual Assault Hotline: https://www.rainn.org/resources End Rape On Campus: https://civicnation.org/our-initiatives/end-rape-on-campus/ Intimate Partner Violence - CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html Gender-Based Violence: https://www.unfpa.org/gender-based-violence Women For Women International: https://www.womenforwomen.org/blogs/series-what-does-mean-gender-based-violence Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

LeTourneau University's Hattie Mills joined Closer Mentality for Episode 72! Mills, a sophomore volleyball player at the Texas DIII school, talked through her recruiting experience, choosing LeTourneau, adjusting to college life, and a season-ending injury that shouldn't have been. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Let's Talk About That: https://www.letstalkaboutthisbyhattie.com/452248810 Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 71 brought on representatives from the non-profit "Morgan's Message". Named for Duke University women's lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers, who passed in 2019, the initiative aims to debunk athlete mental health stories and share experiences, peer-to-peer. Today's guests help give context to the nationwide work that Morgan's Message now does. Morgan's twin sister, Aberle, and East Carolina women's lacrosse player, and Morgan's Message ambassador, CeCe Bartley joined the episode today. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Morgan's Message: https://morgansmessage.org/ Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

For the 70th episode of Closer Mentality, I welcomed Dr. Stephen Harvey to the podcast. He's a sport pedagogist and helps teach coaches how to be more effective in their practices. He spoke about coach decision-making, open streams of communication between player and coach, self-aware evaluations, and how to approach mental skills with athletes ranging from elementary school to professional. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Dr. Harvey's Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Harvey-3 Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Episode 69 highlighted the 13-year professional baseball career of catcher Michael McKenry. McKenry spoke of his journey to Major League lineups, piecing together additional opportunities, the pain and confusion of being traded, how he became "The Fort", the post-sport grieving process, and how through all of the adversity, he maintained his composure. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at www.betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Team USA swimmer Zach Harting joined Closer Mentality to tell his story on Episode 68. Harting detailed his journey to the University of Louisville swim program, finding his sweet spot in the 200m fly, capturing a litany of Cardinal program records, racing Michael Phelps for a spot on Team USA, winning gold medals all over the world, and his trip to Tokyo 2020. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Happy Mental Health Action Day! Closer Mentality's National Mental Health Awareness Month programming continues with a story straight from College Station, Texas. Texas A&M 800 m track athlete Jean Jenkins joined Closer Mentality this week to tell the story of getting to Texas A&M University, finding a place in the middle distances, the beginning of her self-image difficulties, being diagnosed with an eating disorder, perfectionism, and the journey to get back into running. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Jean's Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jeanmarie1/?hl=en Jean's Photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpixe.l/?hl=en Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Team New Zealand pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart joined Closer Mentality this week to talk about the gymnast to pole vaulter pipeline, breaking the U-17 national record, snapping four poles and the psychological ramifications, missing out on Tokyo 2020, and representing New Zealand at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championship in Serbia. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG The episode is presented by MindReady Studios

Bowling Green State University's women's soccer player Rachel Muller joined Closer Mentality this week. She worked through both of her ACL tears, moving across the country in pursuit of an opportunity to play soccer collegiately, regulating her emotions toward returning to play, and how she took control of her shifting roles within BGSU WSOC's hierarchy. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality "From Broken Wings to Shiny Rings": https://twitter.com/BGathletics/status/1507027909914988550 Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG

Episode 64 welcomed MindReady and More Than Baseball founder Jeremy Wolf. He detailed his journey to DIII baseball, winning a College World Series, getting drafted to the New York Mets and playing for Team Israel, why More Than Baseball is important, and mental skills training. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA More Than Baseball: https://www.morethanbaseball.org/ MindReady: https://www.mindready.co/ Season 2's Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd…3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG

Episode 63's Matt Woodtke introduced the concept of working through mental wellness basics with student-athletes as early as middle school. He also detailed the basics of coaching dynamics, why some coaches seem more approachable, and how adults can create a positive team culture surrounding mental health-related dialogues. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Season 2's Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd1OW7znIwy8klvp3p1aXW0xVjceLdJhG

Episode 62 welcomed three representatives from the University of Michigan's Sack the Stigma initiative, which is aimed at engaging college students and student-athletes in mental health advocacy. Sack The Stigma is a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan’s athletic department, specifically football players, Soho Youth Club, a advocacy-through-apparel brand, and Valiant, a sports marketing agency assisting Michigan’s student-athletes with NIL opportunities. Speaking on behalf of the initiative are Brett Gray, Founder and CEO of Soho Youth Club, Carly Silverstein, Clinical Therapist and Mental Performance Fellow with Ann Arbor-based BLND Health, and Jared Wangler, Founder and CEO of Valiant. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality Sack The Stigma Website: https://www.sohoyouthclub.com/pages/sack-the-stigma Sack The Stigma Merchandise: https://www.mden.com/search.html?S001=sack%20the%20stigma Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Brendan Griffiths joined Closer Mentality to talk about his experience with the transfer portal, finding a Division II school, playing professional soccer in Germany and Denmark, and his experiences with resource discrepancies. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality In The 11 Pod: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-11-with-brendan-griffiths/id1511066634 Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

To conclude Women's History Month, Closer Mentality brought on Team Australia freestyle skier Madii Himbury. We talked through the gymnastics to freestyle ski pipeline, competing for Team Australia, qualifying for the Olympics, Australian mental health resources, and the physical and mental strains of three ACL tears. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com/closermentality 2003 Study: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237513367_The_Prevalence_of_Previous_Serious_Knee_Injuries_in_Freestyle_World_Championship_Skiers Closer Mentality UNCENSORED: www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA