Love Your Inner Athlete

Inner Athlete Podcast
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Mental Health
  • Monthly

The "Love Your Inner Athlete" podcast, hosted by Hans Skulstad, is all about mental fitness. Hans interviews professional athletes, coaches, and all around fitness-minded individuals to hear their perspectives on the mental side of sports and athletics. They share their experiences, stories, and how Hans and the Center for Sports and the Mind has changed their mental trajectories, making them fitter, healthier, happier versions of themselves. Follow along to hear inspiring stories from ordinary people who have taken the steps to become mentally fit!

  1. 2d ago

    Jeff Hall: Instant Forgiveness and the Team-First Goalie

    Instant Forgiveness: Jeff Hall on Goaltending, Team-First Thinking, and Keeping Youth Sports in Perspective Content note: this episode includes a frank discussion of youth mental health, including a student-athlete’s death by suicide, about two-thirds of the way through. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 — call or text 988. In 1997, Jeff Hall backstopped the Edina Hornets to a Minnesota state championship, surviving a 5-4 triple-overtime semifinal against Hill-Murray before shutting out undefeated Duluth East 1-0 in the final. For nearly 25 years since, he has helped goalies of every age find their game as Coaching Director at Stauber’s Goalcrease in Edina. In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with his longtime friend to talk about what that title run taught him about confidence and putting the team first, why he trained himself to stop looking at the shot counter, and the one mental skill he teaches every goalie: forgive yourself and your teammates instantly, then get back to the moment. Jeff also shares what head coaches often miss about their goalies (and how a simple greeting and using a kid’s name can change the relationship), how screens and social media are affecting young athletes’ focus, and his advice to hockey parents: be a parent, not an agent. Whether you’re a goalie, a coach, or a sports parent, this conversation is a grounded reminder of what matters most in the game. Connect with Jeff:Stauber’s Goalcrease: goalcrease.com Love Your Inner Athlete explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, mental fitness, and what sport teaches us about life — and remember to love your inner athlete.

  2. Oct 13

    Avery Nelson: Why Flexibility Beats Old-School Mental Toughness

    Beyond Mental Toughness: Avery Nelson on Psychological Flexibility, Shame, and the Power of Opening Up         Avery Nelson played basketball through high school and baseball at Hamline University, where a run of injuries left him burnt out, doubting himself, and trying to power through it alone. Working with a sport psychologist changed how he saw the game and pointed him toward a career. Two master's degrees later, he is a therapist and mental performance coach at Skadi Sport Psychology, helping athletes with both their mental health and their performance.In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Avery to talk about why rigid, push-through-anything "mental toughness" falls short and what psychological flexibility offers instead. They dig into why shame is one of the worst long-term motivators, how phones make anxiety easy to avoid and harder to beat, the pressure social media and sports gambling put on today's athletes, and how knowing your three to five core values can simplify hard decisions. Avery also shares what he wishes his college self had known: admitting you're struggling is the moment the weight starts to lift. Whether you're an athlete, a coach, or a parent, this conversation offers a practical, human take on building a mental game that lasts.Connect with Avery:Website: skadisportpsychology.com (free discovery calls available)The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, mental fitness, and what sport teaches us about life.

  3. Sep 30

    Colin Owensby: The Roadmap to Resilience

    The Roadmap to Resilience: Colin Owensby on Tragedy, Gratitude, and Building a Life You Control At 15, Colin Owensby broke his back in a car crash, spent a week in a coma, and heard doctors warn he might never walk again. Three months later, still in a body cast, he watched his older brother collapse and die on a basketball court. What he built out of those years has carried him through college swimming, an international modeling career, five years as Ashton Kutcher's photo double, a 100-mile ultramarathon, and multiple Ironmans. In this episode of Love Your Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Colin to walk through his 10-pillar Roadmap to Resilience, what working alongside Hollywood's best taught him about mastery and work ethic, and the simple Notes app list a mentor gave him that still shapes his days. Whether you're an athlete coming back from injury, someone carrying grief, or just looking for something tangible to make today better, this conversation offers a practical, hopeful blueprint. Connect with Colin:Website: thecolinowensby.comInstagram, TikTok & LinkedIn: @TheColinOwensby The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, mental fitness, and what sport teaches us about life.

  4. Sep 15

    Charlie Curti: Be Malleable, or the Game Will Make You

    Be Malleable: Charlie Curti on Adapting Your Game and Your Mind Charlie Curti has played pro hockey for eight seasons across the ECHL, the AHL, Denmark, and the UK — but the lesson he keeps coming back to isn't about skating or shooting. It's about being malleable. In this episode, Charlie joins Hans to talk about the identity crisis that hit him at Yale, when the offensive defenseman who'd never faced real adversity suddenly found himself in and out of the lineup. He reached out to Hans at his dad's suggestion, and what started as a hockey problem turned into something broader. They get into why consistency beats talent over a 70-game season, how separating who you are as a player from who you are as a person protects you through slumps, and what changed in Charlie's game once he stopped insisting his way was the right way. He's candid about the setbacks — a torn ACL, a sophomore slump he blames on his own stubbornness — and about the call-up to the AHL at 28 that made the whole thing feel worth it. A good listen for any athlete who's been told to adapt and didn't want to hear it.

  5. Sep 1

    Jessica Poole: NIL Is for the 40, Not the 4

    NIL Is for the 40, Not the 4: Jessica Poole on Identity, Branding, and What Nobody Tells You What if the most important question in NIL has nothing to do with money? Jessica Poole, founder of The Poole Collective and creator of the Own Your NIL program, has spent decades inside college athletics watching athletes chase deals before they even know who they are – and she’s built her entire approach around fixing that. In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Jessica to explore why identity work comes before brand deals, what parents and athletes consistently get wrong about NIL, and the one piece of advice from a women’s basketball coach that has shaped everything about how she operates. Whether you’re a parent trying to figure out NIL, an athlete building a brand, or a coach wondering how to prepare your players for life beyond sport, this conversation offers a perspective you won’t hear anywhere else. Connect with Jessica: Website: thepoolecollective.comInstagram: @thepoolecollectiveLinkedIn: The Poole CollectiveFree 1-hour consultation available on her website The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on athlete development, identity, and life beyond sport.

  6. Aug 18

    Dr. Mary Collings: 33 Years Inside Pro Locker Rooms - What Nobody Talks About

    What’s the difference between studying athletes and actually caring for them? Dr. Mary Collings, official chiropractor for both the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars, has spent 33 years answering that question from inside the locker room – and her perspective on recovery, the brain, and what truly separates elite performers might surprise you. In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Dr. Mary Collings to explore how a chance encounter at a beach volleyball tournament launched an unexpected career, why recovery is not a reward but a requirement, and what a secret flight to Denver during the playoffs revealed about the mental side of performance. Whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or just someone trying to perform better in daily life, Dr. Mary’s insights on sleep, recovery, and treating people as people offer a masterclass in what real care looks like. Connect with Dr. Mary: Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars Official Chiropractor The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on performance, recovery, and what it really takes to compete at the highest level.

  7. Aug 4

    Dave Brown: It Ends – What Every Hockey Parent Needs to Hear

    What does a guy who quit hockey after Bantams, rediscovered the game in Southern California, and built a performance center from scratch actually know about developing elite athletes? Turns out – everything that matters. Dave Brown, owner of The Base Sports Performance and head coach of the Rogers Royals, has spent years watching talented kids hit invisible walls, and he’s figured out exactly why. In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with his longtime friend and neighbor Dave to explore why the pressure to perform is hitting younger and younger kids, what coaches are afraid to say to families, and the two-word piece of advice that reframes everything about youth sports. Whether you’re a coach, a parent, or someone building something from the ground up, this conversation will make you stop and think about what you’re actually building – and why. Connect with Dave: The Base Sports PerformanceMinnesota Lakers HockeyRogers Royals Hockey The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on coaching, athlete development, and what hockey really teaches us about life.

  8. Jul 28

    Critter Johnson: Growing Up in Hockey’s Most Famous Family

    What’s it like to grow up in one of hockey’s most legendary families – and then find your own path in the game? Chris (Critter) Johnson, assistant coach with the Minnesota Frost in the PWHL, has seen hockey from every angle: as a player, a youth coach, a college coach, and now at the professional women’s level. And the most important thing he’s learned? It has nothing to do with winning. In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad reconnects with his Augsburg connection to explore what coaching professional women athletes is really like, why nothing matters until puberty when it comes to youth development, and the piece of advice from his dad that has shaped everything about how he shows up – on and off the ice. Whether you’re a hockey parent, a coach at any level, or someone trying to figure out how to separate your identity from what you do, this conversation will make you think differently about the game. Connect with Chris: Minnesota Frost / PWHL Minnesota The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on coaching, athlete development, and what hockey really teaches us about life.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The "Love Your Inner Athlete" podcast, hosted by Hans Skulstad, is all about mental fitness. Hans interviews professional athletes, coaches, and all around fitness-minded individuals to hear their perspectives on the mental side of sports and athletics. They share their experiences, stories, and how Hans and the Center for Sports and the Mind has changed their mental trajectories, making them fitter, healthier, happier versions of themselves. Follow along to hear inspiring stories from ordinary people who have taken the steps to become mentally fit!

Information

  • Creator
    Inner Athlete Podcast
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Inner Athlete Podcast
  • Show Website
    Love Your Inner Athlete