85: Mental Fitness in Sports | Jason Podollan & Rob Pallante

In this episode, we talk about Duff's book The Tao of Sport: Reflecting on Purpose, Passion, and Growth and the observations of the athletic world that ultimately inspired him to write it. He discusses the various stages of his career, from participating in multiple sports during his youth to working as a firefighter, competing in the Olympics, and the insight he gained from being a coach.

Find out more here: https://www.darkhorseathletic.ca/general-6

Duff is a speaker, coach, advocate, and father, who aims to develop athleticism and foster an intrinsic love for sport. He spent the better part of three decades in the world of Olympic sport, and was also a provincial champion speed skater and a national champion in bobsleigh. He competed from 1999 to 2006 when he won gold in the Men’s Skeleton Race, making him the oldest Canadian Winter Games Gold Medalist and the oldest Individual Winter Gold Medalist in the world.

Table of Contents

0:00 - Intro

2:40 - Growing up playing sports

7:45 - Origin of the book and of Dark Horse

13:40 - Data on Olympians

18:55 - Challenges and fear in Skeleton

21:20 - Firefighting experience

24:30 - Memorable moment from competition

28:05 - Achieving his dream

30:20 - Preparation/time management

35:40 - The importance of making mistakes

40:35 - Control and selflessness

46:00 - Growth mindset

54:25 - His support network

58:15 - Advice for parents to help kids thrive

1:00:55 - Advice for coaches just starting out

1:13:25 - Outro

The interview featured on this episode of the Love What You Play podcast originally aired live on For the Love of the Game's Facebook page.

In this episode, we talk about the origin of Athlete Intelligence and how they have adapted to recent circumstances, as well as their goals and plans moving forward. Chris goes into detail about the study of concussions and the services that his organization provides - specifically, discussing how the mindset around head injuries and prevention methods in the sport world has changed over the years.

Find out more here: https://www.athleteintelligence.com/

As a former LAX player and current LAX coach, Chris is involved with a number of efforts to help kids stay healthy and safe while having fun in their sports. Currently living in Washington State, he is passionate about lacrosse, volunteering, and his work with young people.

Table of Contents

0:00 - Intro

2:05 - Growing up playing sports

6:10 - Benefits of multi-sport participation

8:35 - Concussion data

14:40 - Rowan’s Law and safety products

19:30 - Priorities for Athlete Intelligence

23:25 - Research timeline and business model

28:15 - Ideal athletic techniques

34:05 - The future of the platform

40:45 - Head impacts and CTE

45:20 - Advice for coaches just starting out

50:00 - Where to find Chris

52:10 - Outro

The interview featured on this episode of the Love What You Play podcast originally aired live on For the Love of the Game's Facebook page.

In this episode, we talk about Allison's journey from her commitment as a student athlete to her experiences in the Olympics, and what led her to the field of Safe Sport. She discusses how the perspective on abuse is shifting and what still needs improvement, as well as offering suggestions for organizations that want to implement a new system.

Find out more here: https://www.itpsport.ca/

Allison is a business leader focusing on the prevention and case management of maltreatment, who has worked with the federal government and the public sector to create a safer, high-performance system. With 12+ years of business development, operations, marketing, communications, and leadership experience, she is now a consultant and advisor to sports brands and organizations at all levels.

Table of Contents

0:00 - Intro

1:20 - Growing up playing sports

3:45 - "Over-specialization" vs. long-term development

6:10 - Allison's skiing career and the Olympics

10:00 - Her path to working in Safe Sport

18:25 - Changes in the athletic world

23:50 - Preventing harassment/abuse

30:10 - Emotional and physical protection

33:00 - Cyberbullying in sports

43:50 - Business model and partners

47:20 - The newest developments

50:10 - Recommended approaches

55:40 - Supervising young players

58:10 - Where to find Allison

59:25 - Outro

The interview featured on this episode of the Love What You Play podcast originally aired live on For the Love of the Game's Facebook page.

In this episode, we talk about how sports were a part of Jacques's life growing up and his journey to going pro. He shares his advice for young athletes, coaches and parents alike, focusing on the issues of multisport participation, respect, nutrition, and supporting players' health.

Find out more and purchase Jacques's books here: https://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Ladouceur/e/B08VDMRMGY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1637260688&sr=1-2

Jacques was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and immigrated to New York City with his family in December of 1969. After playing for the US National Soccer Team for two years, he went on to play professionally for 11 years and was a member of six championship teams before he went into coaching and the business world. He has worked as an entrepreneur and has also consulted executives and managers of various companies; he is currently a business coach with Buffini & Company.

Table of Contents

00:00 - Intro

2:03 - How old were you when you moved to NYC?

5:49 - When did you start playing soccer and did you play other sports as well?

8:06 - Do you think it's beneficial for kids to participate in multiple sports?

16:51 - How might we educate parents so they won't push their children to the point where they experience burnout?

21:14 - What are your suggestions in terms of nutrition and healthy habits for young athletes?

30:23 - How do you recommend they balance their sports with sufficient time for sleep and rest?

36:52 - How can families and coaches help kids love the game?

41:14 - What key takeaways do you want people to gain from your books?

46:09 - Why are we seeing a lack of respect in sports, especially toward officials, and what should we do about it?

53:17 - Based on your own background, what's the #1 piece of advice you would give to coaches?

57:24 - Outro

The interview featured on this episode of the Love What You Play podcast originally aired live on For the Love of the Game's Facebook page.

Dr. Julie Stamm is a neuroscientist, anatomist, athletic trainer, researcher, and sports lover. She is also the author of The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future.

In this episode, we talk about Dr. Stamm's recently published book The Brain on Youth Sports, which tackles the issue of repetitive brain trauma in youth sports and their health consequences. By reading the book, Dr. Stamm hopes that consumers will be equipped to make well-informed decisions.

Find out more and purchase Dr. Stamm's book here: https://www.juliestamm.com/book

Dr. Stamm has done extensive research and published many works in the areas of concussions, sub-concussive impacts, CTE, and the consequences of repetitive brain trauma in youth. Through her many publications and online presence, her mission is to debunk the myths around repetitive brain trauma and concussions in sports and explain the science so that it is easy for everyone to understand.

Table of Contents

00:00 - Intro

01:14 - How Dr. Stamm came to study concussions in contact sports when she played mainly non-contact sports

02:29 - What do we need to do in terms of shifting the mindset of “getting your bell rung” vs. recognizing an actual concussion?

05:17 - Are there any concussion laws in the US to legislate return to play (similar to Rowan’s law)?

06:52 - Is there any truth to concussion-proof helmets?

08:24 - How Virginia Tech rates the concussion protection levels of helmets and how the price difference is often unrelated

11:10 - Are mouth guards useful to help prevent concussions?

11:54 - The crucial brain development happening in the 8-12 age group and the effects of disrupting it

13:32 - Did Dr. Stamm's concussion research play a role when USA Hockey and Hockey Canada banned body checking for the younger U13-U15 age groups?

15:22 - Why was the American Academy of Pediatrics in the US in support of removing contact in hockey but not football?

18:51 - Is the money stream for the NFL preventing football from removing contact?

22:09 - Why Dr. Stamm believes contact in sports shouldn’t be present before players' teen years

25:06 - Does early specialization in contact sports and football impact concussion rates compared to multi-sport athletes?

27:43 - How popular is baseline testing in the US and how effective is it in measuring concussion recovery?

30:08 - How are motion sensors implemented during play and how effective are they?

32:39 - What sports have a higher percentage of head impacts and how does the position you play affect your risk of concussions?

34:48 - What sports have the highest concussion rates when comparing boys vs. girls?

36:32 - How do we ensure young athletes report their head injuries during play and are made aware of the lifelong impacts of concussions?

38:31 - The importance of coaches supporting their athletes in being open about reporting their injuries

39:25 - How to make coach concussion education ongoing learning rather than a one-time workshop

42:03 - What are the myths of diagnosis and recovery for concussions?

44:58 - Previous concerns of people falling asleep and not noticing internal bleeding vs. allowing them to sleep to help their recovery

46:24 - Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy have benefits for concussion recovery?

47:43 - What led Dr. Stamm to write a book on concussions and what she hopes people will gain from reading it

49:55 - Dr. Stamm's aspiration for no contact under 13 in football in the next five years

51:40 - Some examples of amazing football athletes who were successful without playing contact sports early on in life

53:33 - Where can people find Dr. Stamm’s book and how can they reach out to her?

54:21 - Outro

The interview featured on this episode of the Love What You Play podcast originally aired live on For the Love of the Game's Facebook page and YouTube channel.