Every athlete plays two games — the sport on the field, and the mental game happening in their head. In this episode, we sit down with two experts who work with college athletes every day: Carrie Potoff, a licensed clinical social worker at Sasko River Center in Darien, and Rhodie Lorenz, a mental performance coach who works with college and high school athletes. Together, they break down what it really takes to perform well — not just physically, but mentally.

What We Cover:

• Why the mental side of sports is just as trainable as the physical side
• How negative self-talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy — and how to interrupt it
• The difference between "useful" and "not useful" thoughts (hint: it's not always about positive vs. negative)
• What "process goals" actually look like in real life
• A simple two-column exercise to help athletes focus on what they can control
• How burnout shows up in college athletes — and how to help them fall back in love with their sport
• The "Side Game" tool: a powerful technique for helping athletes rediscover their "why"
• How team culture and shared vulnerability can elevate individual performance

Resources Mentioned:

Saugatuck Mind and Sports Lab — Carrie and Rhodie's organization working to shift the culture around outcome fixation in youth and college sports

Mike Vrabel's "4 H's": History, Heroes, Heartbreak and Hope

• https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/47580019

Key Quotes:

• "The mind doesn't believe what is true — it believes what is repeated." — Rhodie Lorenz
• "You can't perform at your highest level and endure this level of pain if it's not attached to something beyond yourself." — Rhodie Lorenz

About Our Guests:

Carrie Potoff, LCSW works out of Sasko River Center in Darien and specializes in working with athletes navigating the emotional and psychological demands of competitive sports.

Rhodie Lorenz is a mental performance coach with a background in education and fitness. She works primarily with college-level athletes, helping them build the mental tools they need to thrive under pressure.

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Music is Deadbeats by Rex Banner