Unit3d w/ B1G Team at Indiana University

Representation matters, and representation can be vital when it comes to mental health professionals available for student-athletes. The fit in the relationship between an athlete and a therapist is vital to healing, and being able to have a therapist that shares a cultural perspective and experience can facilitate that road to optimal mental wellness. Dr. Marcus Dumas (Dr. Du) discusses the importance of the relationship and how to overcome potential barriers to that relationship on this episode of Unit3d.

During the holidays the Unit3d team will be taking a break. Because holidays can be hectic and even stressful, the Unit3d team is once again bringing you a series of guided meditations, relaxations, and visual imageries recorded by various mental health professionals to help give you some peace. We will be back with great new episodes mid-January.The last in our relaxation series for this holiday is done by the Unit3d host, Dr. Josie Nicholson. This is meant to be a deep relaxation and gives a chance to embrace the perspective of the new semester as a chance to start fresh, see things in a new way, and build from a strong foundation. Enjoy letting go of tension in your body and your mind!

During the holidays the Unit3d team will be taking a break. Because holidays can be hectic and even stressful, the Unit3d team is once again bringing you a series of guided meditations, relaxations, and visual imageries recorded by various mental health professionals to help give you some peace. We will be back with great new episodes mid-January.Our thoughts often take away from our feelings of calm. With practice we can learn to take those thoughts that are not helpful and release them like a leaf that floats downstream. Kristi Boxx, Counseling, intern for Rebel Sport Psych in Ole Miss Athletics, leads us through a visualization to help us release unhelpful thoughts, and find a greater state of relaxation.

During the holidays the Unit3d team will be taking a break. Because the beginning of a new year can be hectic and even stressful, the Unit3d team is once again bringing you a series of guided meditations, relaxations, and visual imageries recorded by various mental health professionals to help give you some peace. We will be back with great new episodes in a couple of weeks! Bella Fiorenzo, pre-doctoral intern at Auburn University and Ph.D. student at St. Louis University brings us this weeks’ time of relaxation with guided breathing and a reminder to engage in self-compassion as we begin this new year.

During the holidays the Unit3d team will be taking a break. Because holidays can be hectic and even stressful, the Unit3d team is once again bringing you a series of guided meditations, relaxations, and visual imageries recorded by various mental health professionals to help give you some peace. We will be back with great new episodes mid-January.With the holidays coming to a close and the new year started, this is a nice time to pause and release tension from the body. Dr. Allison Rogers, Assistant Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology, Mississippi State University Athletics guides us through this meditation focused on gratitude while relaxing the body.

During the holidays the Unit3d team will be taking a break. Because holidays can be hectic and even stressful, the Unit3d team is once again bringing you a series of guided meditations, relaxations, and visual imageries recorded by various mental health professionals to help give you some peace. We will be back with great new episodes mid-January.The first of our meditations for the holidays is one we offer to you every year: Power Animal by Dean Worsham, LPD, LMFT. In this guided meditation, you will be connected with inner strength and wisdom. Happy Holidays!

For the last of our 3-part series on gratitude, Dr. LaTisha Bader returns to the Unit3d podcast to discuss the mindset of gratitude. Gratitude as a practice seems simple but can be difficult to engage in consistently. LaTisha discusses the neurology around gratitude, the difficulties in maintaining a practice that supports that mindset, and the benefits that having that mindset can facilitate.

Gratitude is a practice known to improve mental health as well as performance, but Dr. Kate Bennett proclaims gratitude as a lifestyle she has lived for over 20 years. The path to success, particularly for athletes involves suffering, and gratitude can help us thrive through the difficult times we experience both on that path as well as in our life. In this second part of our 3-part pre-holidays gratitude series, we talk about gratitude coming from the heart, improving our performance, and improving/maintaining our mental health.

As we head into the holiday season, Unit3d is doing a 3-part series on gratitude. Gratitude has been researched a great deal and has been shown to have wonderful benefits to our mental health, but also can improve our performance in sport. To kick off the series, we have Dr. Jeff Ruser, CMPC, talking about his perspective on the benefits of gratitude, the ways to practice gratitude, and the mental health AND performance benefits of gratitude.

Growing up with a professional athlete as a father, Harlee Walker and her siblings grew up with an idea of what it meant to be. “mentally tough”. When Harlee moved across the country to play softball, she began to experience feelings of sadness and emptiness that she couldn’t explain. Hearing the Hilinskis bring their story to the athletes at her school, she was able to realize that it’s OK to not be OK even if you can’t figure out. On this episode of United, Harlee shares her story of reaching out for help and receiving the support she needed.

Often athletes don’t think of themselves as creative people, but it takes creativity to perform at our best. Dr. Breigh Jones-Coplin developed a relationship with her creative side in 2020 when she began exploring flower arranging. Having found her creative venture to be therapeutic, she opened her business, Black + Blossomed, LLC. In this episode of Unit3d, Dr. Jones-Coplin talks about tapping into our creativity in order to find more of ourselves in what we do, as well as ways in which creativity can boost our mental health.

Ali Weisz competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has earned 12 international medals, an individual World Championship Gold and currently holds the World Record in Women’s 10m Air Rifle. Despite success, she has experienced burnout, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. On this episode of Unit3d, Ali shares what it is like to fight through periods of burnout, the importance of leaning on a circle of trusted friends, and what it’s like to live her dream and realize that the dream isn’t always what it was built up to be

Paris Hilinski is the niece of Mark and Kym Hilinski. Her rise to professional golf was very fast: she started playing golf when she had just turned 14 and a year later, after her 8th tournament, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open. During covid she realized she needed to see herself as more than a golfer and more than her performance so she began to build a brand and venture in to the influencer world. She is now the creative director for LA Golf and has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. On Unit3d she talks about her journey, the importance of seeing yourself as more than your sport, and the difficulties but importance of reaching out for help and support.

It is not uncommon for athletes to question themselves and feel as though what they are doing is not good enough. When the feeling that we are not good enough is pervasive and results in us feeling as though we are an imposter and that someone will find us out it is called imposter syndrome. Challenging the thought that we don’t belong is vital for believing that we are enough and right where we are supposed to be. Lauren Wright, Assistant Director of Mental Health and Wellness at the University of Tennessee, joins us on Unit3d to talk about imposter syndrome and ways to combat the lies that come with it.

Ole Miss Athletics Counselor D’Jenne Egharevba (Dee Dee) grew up with the message “we don’t talk about your feelings” in her family. As a first generation American the anxiety she experienced was channeled into running. Despite her success as an athlete, she still struggled to enjoy her sport. As a student-athlete, she decided to pursue a career in mental health counseling to help other athletes have fun during their time as an athlete. On this episode of Unit3d, Dee Dee shares her story of breaking her family’s mold and using her experiences to guide her path forward.

Awareness has increased in the past few years about the importance of representation in the realm of mental health. When an athlete sees someone who looks like them in the role of a clinician, it increases the comfort level that athlete may have in seeking support from mental health professionals. Dr. Chelsi Battle, our very own Unit3d editor, talks about the value of building bridges between athlete – clinician differences, as well as the comfort level that speaking to a provider with a shared cultural experience can bring.

Edose Ibadin is a professional runner who attributes his improvements in his sport to mental training. He recognizes how vital training the mind is to success in sport, but also sees how little time is dedicated to building mental skills. In this episode of Unit3d, Edose discusses how mindset and mental skills can help athletes excel in their sport, but also how it can help athletes get through and learn from difficult times in life.

Professional soccer player Jack Beer wanted to fit in with his team and thrive as a person when he began his college career at Georgetown University. After his freshman year however, he began to question whether he wanted to keep playing and doubt and injury took a toll on his mental health. He was able to talk with his coaches and take a step back from the game. When he returned the support he received from his teammates allowed him to fight anxiety, depression and mental health challenges head on. Learning that his experience was “normal” and that his teammates understood him more than he had previously thought paved a path back to health and his love for soccer, leading him to a professional soccer career and a passion for mental health advocacy.

Fueling our bodies is so important for athletes for performance, but it is also important for our mental health. We often worry a great deal about what we are eating but we often disregard how nutrition impacts our mood. How we think about food as well as our relationship with food also can affect our mental health. Kate Callaway, Director of Performance Nutrition for the Carolina Panthers discusses nutrition and its impact on mental health on this episode of Unit3d.

Classes are rolling as the semester rolls on. Athletes have likely lost the initial idea of getting ahead, and it seems like there’s enough semester left to leave some tasks for later. Well, avoidance is common. We avoid in our relationships, in academics, and personal growth. Joining us for this UNIT3D episode is Dr. Tom Golightly, who gives tips for recognizing avoidance and strategies for overcoming these behaviors.

Transitioning out of sport often has a negative impact on an athletes mental health. Similar to losing the athlete uniform, transitioning outs of the military can be difficult as one’s identity shifts. Nate Boyer knows both of these journeys as he played Division I football, and then spent a year in the NFL after having served as a Green Beret deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has taken his passion for helping those transitioning out of sport in the military and created a unique nonprofit called Merging Players and Vets (MVP). Hear about this and the powerful movie (MVP streaming on Showtime, Paramount + and other platforms) that illustrates just how important this effort is on this episode of Unit3d.

When student-athletes come together to support each other, meaningful change can happen. At Duke University, there are several groups that support different aspects of student-athlete mental health. Dr. Shawn Zeplin talks about how student-athletes can start a mental health group on their own campus and the benefits to the entire department/community that can come from student-athlete involvement.

Improv may be an unexpected topic for our Unit3d listeners, but there a many similarities between the sports world and improv. Athletes can learn a great deal from those who perform improv, whether it’s thinking quickly on your feet or responding to changing situations. Similar to athletes, improvisers conquer fears to put themselves out there, take risks, and succeed by failing. Improviser, actor, owner of Anubis Improv and instructor David Hamilton joins us this week to talk about the power of letting go and being willing to fail.

Identity is such a struggle for so many athletes, and many do not know who they are outside of their sport. Identification with sport can come at a cost, especially when athletes start to look for a direction to go in when their sport is done. Even when athletes turn pro in their sport, that professional career will end at some point and athletes then will look to what else they can do. Dr. Brad Hambric discusses an array of aspects to an athlete’s identity and how to go about exploring other areas of identity on this episode of Unit3d.

During the months of June, July and early August, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. It's Love:Mark and Kym Hilinski is Ryan Hilinski's pick. Mark and Kym Hilinski share what’s going on with Hilinsk’'s Hope: the 3 for 3 challenge, Kym climbing mountains, and Mark looking at ways to bring innovation to the mission of Hilinski’s Hope. They share important messages around healing, finding ways to keep going, and knowing that whatever you are doing to share the message that mental health matters, it makes a difference.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. The Best Version of Me:Teddy Britt is Brian Simmons' pick. Teddy Britt has a smile that lifts up those around her. Because of that, she used to believe that she always had to smile so that others could benefit from her energy. She has now learned that it's ok to show up authentically, no matter how she is feeling. Teddy joins us at Unit3d and to discuss vulnerability and the advantages of showing up authentically. She also explains that there are times when she feels like her performance has not earned the love of those around her. She takes us through her journey as an Ole Miss Track & Field thrower, and coming to the understanding that love is not dependent on her performance or athletic ability.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Thrive or Bust:Ryan Leaf is John Cooke's pick. Many are familiar with former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf and his story of achieving the dream of being a first round draft pick only to fall hard and become touted as the “biggest bust in NFL history” by some. Ryan Leaf shared insight into his journey as well as a powerful and unique perspective on working to come back to yourself after falling in to dark places.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Sweet Sleep is Graham Doty's pick. Sleep is so important to our mental health but it is something we often don’t prioritize, especially during stressful times. Getting better sleep is sometimes difficult, and we often don’t know as much about sleep as we need to.Sleep researcher Dr. Michael Grandner starts this three-part series in sleep helping us understand more about how to get more and better sleep.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Identity Back on Track is Chelsi Battle's pick. Dr. Dwight Hollier played in the NFL for 9 years before beginning his career as a mental health professional. Having lined up a career for post-football life, it seemed like his transition out of sport could have been smooth. His identity, however, was firmly rooted in being a football player. Having a plan for a career after football was helpful, but not having a plan for transitioning his identity away from football and to his new role left him feeling lost. Counseling helped him get back on track.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Closing A Chapter is Drew Lombardi's pick. Throughout our life we all experience a number of transitions. Closing the chapter of playing collegiate sports can bring up identity struggles for many, as well as a feeling of being lost or unsure as to what’s next. In this episode of Unit3d, Dr. Bassey Akpan discusses the transition for athletes from collegiate sports into the next chapter and how being an athlete has offered preparation one may not realize.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Get Your Bounce Back is Aidan Lombardi's pick. We all seem to agree that resilience is an important trait to have as an athlete, but few can say exactly what resilience is or how to build it. We know that bouncing back after setbacks, as well as overcoming obstacles, are important on the path to success. Yet again, few can explain why some are able to do this more than others. Dr. Eric Martin of Boise State University has researched resilience and has worked with athletes to help build their ability to be resilient. He offers insight into how to define resilience, how it impacts the life of an athlete, and practical ways to build resilience in our lives.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Authentic Storytelling:Nia Symone is Josie Nicholson's pick. Nia Symone knew from an early age that she wanted to be involved in entertainment and sports media. She pursued a communications degree while playing basketball at Alabama State University. Since graduating, Nia has created content for brands like Nike, Hibbett Sports, and Overtime, and she was named the host of Nike’s first-ever digital show, Come Thru. Nia is also the CEO and founder of Purpose To Be Heard Productions, a creative production company with a mission of changing the way society views athletes through authentic storytelling and which offers a platform for athletes to have their voices heard. Nia shares a powerful story with Unit3d that many other athletes will be able to relate to. Oh, and wait until you hear how she came up with the name for her company!

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. The Magic Portal is Mark Hilinski's pick. At the end of a season many athletes decide they need a change and enter the transfer portal. Established in 2018, the portal became much more popular when, in 2021, the NCAA passed regulations that allowed athletes in many sports a “one-time transfer” without having to sit out a year. This has opened the portal for many more athletes than before, but it has not been the magic remedy that many hoped it would be. With so many athletes entering the portal, many are left without a new team. Dr. Joey Case, Assistant Athletic Director/Counseling and Sport Psychology for Mississippi State University talks about the implications of the portal for student athlete mental health as well as how to navigate the emotional process of transferring.

During the months of June and July, the Unit3d team is taking a break. We have asked people close to the podcast to choose their favorite episode to air as a "ReUnit3d" during this time. Touch the Grass:Mike Golic Jr. is Kym Hilinski's pick. Mike Golic Jr. played football at Notre Dame and after went undrafted as a free agent in the NFL. He wanted to stay close to the game and has been able to do that through work in the media. He is a College Football analyst for Learfield College Football Saturday Night and hosts the GoJo Show podcast, a production of Draftkings. He understands the stress college athletes are under and has unique insight in to the pressures increasing with the introduction of NIL as athletes must present themselves as a brand. Mike shares experiences he had as an athlete at Notre Dame and insights he has gained as he has covered the game on the other side.

This episode wraps up the 22-23 season of Unit3d. To close things out, Mark and Kym Hilinski share what’s going on with Hilinsk’'s Hope: the 3 for 3 challenge, Kym climbing mountains, and Mark looking at ways to bring innovation to the mission of Hilinski’s Hope. They share important messages around healing, finding ways to keep going, and knowing that whatever you are doing to share the message that mental health matters, it makes a difference.

“Be in the moment” is a phrase heard so much in sports, and athletes know the importance of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. But one aspect of being in the moment that is often overlooked is the mentality we can slip in to of waiting until we achieve a certain goal or arrive at a certain point before we allow ourselves to embrace where we are. It can be easy to get caught up in “waiting” until we reach a certain point and we can miss that our lives, our careers, our experience is happening right now. Dr. Ryan Pittsinger, Assistant AD, Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology at Texas A&M discusses the importance of recognizing the moments we are in rather than waiting for the moments to come in this episode of Unit3d.

Dr. Dwight Hollier played in the NFL for 9 years before beginning his career as a mental health professional. Having lined up a career for post-football life, it seemed like his transition out of sport could have been smooth. His identity, however, was firmly rooted in being a football player. Having a plan for a career after football was helpful, but not having a plan for transitioning his identity away from football and to his new role left him feeling lost. Counseling helped him get back on track.

Sabrina Shaw worked hard and had a lot of success as a goalkeeper and headed in to her college career at Iowa with high expectations of herself. Injuries created a bumpy journey and when she was sidelined she realized she did not know. How to find joy outside of her sport. She had the courage to ask for help and found her way back to herself. During the pandemic she started her own company: Urban Wave and her mental health journey inspired her to use her business to further the efforts of others to support student-athlete mental health. She launched a campaign: Minds Matter, recognizing that a mind over matter mentality ignores the importance of embracing and growing stronger from a challenge. She is pursuing a career as a physical therapist and will support athletes emotionally as they work through physical injury.

Brad Robbins has had a lot of success as a punter, but his road has not been without turns and bumps. Experiences with injury in his collegiate career, as well as the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on his mental health, caused him to look for ways to quiet his mind. He took steps to learn about meditation and he developed a practice that has supported his mental health and athletic performance. Brad has found benefit in helping others through a campaign that utilized his platform, and he has seen the impact that creating a culture of serving others can have on athlete wellness. Brad shares about his experiences and techniques he uses to maintain mental wellness on this episode of Unit3d.

The end of each school year brings changes and transitions. Change is certain in our lives but brings about so much uncertainty that it can be difficult to navigate. Dr. Michelle Garvin, sport psychologist for the Detroit Lions discusses changes and transitions, offering insight and tools to help navigate the uncertainties, the challenges, and the opportunities that change brings.

Teddy Britt has a smile that lifts up those around her. Because of that, she used to believe that she always had to smile so that others could benefit from her energy. She has now learned that it's ok to show up authentically, no matter how she is feeling. Teddy joins us at Unit3d and to discuss vulnerability and the advantages of showing up authentically. She also explains that there are times when she feels like her performance has not earned the love of those around her. She takes us through her journey as an Ole Miss Track & Field thrower, and coming to the understanding that love is not dependent on her performance or athletic ability.

During her freshman year of college at Duke University, Anna Callahan lost a teammate and close friend, Morgan Rogers. The impact of this loss inspired Anna to let go of fears she had about being herself and stop hiding parts of herself she felt made her different. She began to embrace being an advocate for mental health and helped start Morgan’s Message which now has chapters on close to 1000 high school and college campuses. Her strength and her story are inspiring as she continues to be an example to others of someone who attacks the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Often tragedy and trauma serve to fuel passion for efforts to change the world. This is the case for Brandon Siler, former NFL player and now entrepreneur. Brandon has experienced the loss of several friends and teammates to mental illness and now works to help support fellow NFLers in many ways, including getting them disability benefits through his company, Legacy Pro Sports and owning a mental health facility, Pure Recovery, that employs some of the most innovative interventions for recovery in the country. Brandon has a passion for improving student-athlete’s mental health and believes it needs to begin with building mental health literacy into the curriculum that every student-athlete must complete in their time in college. On this episode of Unit3d, Brandon shares his powerful story and his unique vision for the future of mental health education for student athletes.

Mental health campaigns are important vehicles for raising awareness and breaking down stigma. Sack the Stigma is a collaborative campaign aimed at destigmatizing mental illness among young people, particularly student-athletes. This campaign started at the University of Michigan, but is gaining traction to make appearances at other universities as a team effort with Hilinski’s Hope during the College Athlete Mental Health Week in October. Carly Silverstein is a co-founder of Sack the Stigma and her passion for athlete mental health fuels her work to extend the campaign’s reach. Olu Oluwatimi is an accomplished football player and this past year as Captain led his team to a Big 10 Championship. He has been very involved in Sack the Stigma since transferring to Michigan. On this episode of Unit3d, Carly and Olu share their passion for supporting others who are struggling and the vision for Sack the Stigma in the future.

Muhammad Ali said “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” This powerful quote can send a message to all of us to address challenges that we may see as small or insignificant before they become bigger obstacles in our lives. Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley is the mental health clinician for the Baltimore Ravens and on this episode of Unit3d she discusses this quote as an analogy for the importance of addressing mental health challenges in our lives as soon as we recognize them. She talks about how she approaches her work with the men coming to the Ravens and her framework for developing relationships with the players.

Because we are human, we all have negative emotions. We often try to ignore or avoid them, or move through them as quickly as possible. Many times we even judge ourselves for having them. On this episode of Unit3d, Dr. Rachel Conway, head sport psychologist for Wake Forest Athletics, talks about changing our relationship with negative emotions so that we can work with them rather than run from them.

Sleep is a vital foundation to mental health and many athletes struggle to get enough of it. Dr. Michael Grandner is one of the nation’s top sleep researchers, especially in the area of sleep in athletes. Sleep is so important to our mental health that this spring we will have a three part series on sleep and how to improve both quality and quantity of sleep to support the health of your body and your mind.

We all have an idea of when we are “off” in our performance, and we work hard to get back on the path to where we want to be. Mental health is no different. If we take time to check in with ourselves we can become aware of when we aren’t centered. Mindfulness and other strategies can help us get back on the path, back to our center. Dr. Tess Palmateer, Director of Athlete Mental Health and Performance at Florida Atlantic University discusses how to recognize when we are “off-center” and ways to get back to who we are, what we know, and the place we want to be in our mental wellness journey.

Recently the word "manifesting" has become a buzz word in popular culture, with some dismissing it as “magical thinking.” How nice would it be if it were real? On this episode of Unit3d, one of our favorite guests, Dr. LaTisha Bader, returns to discuss what manifesting actually is and how to do it.

A crisis situation is something we never hope will happen, but it is important to prepare as much as we can for the unexpected. It is also helpful to know how to help someone when a crisis pops up. In this episode of Unit3d, Dr. Dylan Firsick, Assistant A.D. and Director of Mental Health and Performance at the University of Georgia, discusses various ways to handle a crisis situation, things we can do when the unexpected happens, and ways to help those close to us who experience an emergency -- especially when those emergencies pertain to our mental health.