Mental Fitness Matters‪®‬ Tracy Alston

We all know and are familiar with what we consider our busy seasons throughout the year! Whether it’s the holiday season, a season of loss or transition, or a season in your life that is just beginning or ending, managing your stress levels, emotions, and overall health throughout busy seasons can be difficult. 







I want to give you 5 tips for managing stress during a busy season in your life. 







WATCH VIDEO

WATCH VIDEO



























Learn Coaching with Intention with Frankie Littlejohn. Coaching is no easy job. You are tasked with balancing the performance of a team while striving to develop well-rounded, confident, and kind individuals. 







Frankie LittleJohn







Head Women & Men’s Track & Field Coach at Pine Lake Prep Defensive end/Center for the National Arena Football Leagues Carolina Predators Defensive End/Center for the TEAM USA National All-star team 2019 inducted into the European Football Hall of fame for TEAM USA International for playing 12 years in Italy, Germany, France BS in Exercise Science from North Greenville University with Minor in Psychology. BS in Neuromuscular Science from Winston Salem State University







Topic :







* As a former collegiate athlete, a current athlete, and a coach, talk about the importance of guidance not just in competing, but in preparation.* What are you seeing as some of the biggest changes as it relates to talking about the importance of not just training your body, but training your mind?* What are the biggest mental fitness hurdles you see in our youth today and how do we coach for the 21st century? What if anything needs to shift?* The world is getting faster, and the idea vs. reality of being that NEXT star and instant success is where a lot of our youth focus today, how do you see this impacting the kids you are training and coaching* What are your thoughts on NIL and does that change how you prepare your youth?* What do you see as some of the biggest challenges our youth are facing today and how is that impacting their performance?* How do you go about balancing the performance of a team, while striving to develop well-rounded individuals? * What do you see (if anything) as some of the barriers or challenges when it comes to discussing mental fitness with parents?  * People are talking more about mental health and the mental side of the game than ever before, how are you training/equipping your students to build confidence and a better mindset * What does mental fitness mean to you? * What’s your “why”?* Who was your role model and what qualities and/or characteristics have you tried to carry over* Majority of kids think they are going pro, what advice and/or tips do you have for parents and our youth as we both know the odds of that







WATCH VIDEO

WATCH VIDEO



























Que Tucker is the commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Que oversees the entire operation of the Association, which includes a staff of 17, a sports program consisting of 13 different sports, culminating in the 90 state team championships for men and women. As a native of Rockingham County, Que played college basketball at Mars Hill College and earned a master’s degree in physical education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also coached alongside Kay Yow at NC State….







* Tell us a little about your journey* 50th anniversary of Title 9 and as someone who has navigated sports as an athlete a coach and an administrator you’ve seen the effects and changes to the face of title 9 sports have brought forth. How do you handle the stress of managing athletics at a state level?* Looking over the journey of Title 9, over the last 50 years, what would you say looks different about your student-athlete experience from then until now….* Looking back at the progress that’s been made over the last 50 years and some of the hurdles you had to cross, what’s one hurdle that you’ve dealt with that doesn’t exist for girls today?















WATCH VIDEO

WATCH VIDEO BELOW



























Family Mental Health History Matters? How many of you know your family history and not just medical family history, but mental health family history?







And most importantly do you think it matters!!







I want to talk about this topic because I truly think it’s important and it can change how you operate in your life on a daily basis. As someone who is very curious and loves to study human behavior and performance I know there are so many factors that go into making us who we are, but also many factors that go into us becoming who we are meant to be.







So, today we are talking about Family History







Family history matters for all areas of health, but it truly can affect your mental health.







According to scientific research having family members with 







* Anxiety* Depression* Add/ADHD* Bipolar * Addictions or* Dementia







Increases your risk….WATCH VIDEO

How many times have you attempted to start something, in particular with your health and wellness?







Whether it’s pursuing a new goal for your life, around a workout schedule, or weight management, how many times have you thought about starting and have said you’ll just wait until tomorrow, or next month or next year and then the time comes around and you haven’t started? 







We’ve all done this before right?! Well on today’s show, I’ve brought back an amazing guest Christiane Matey, Integrative and functional Dietician and the Founder of MINT Nutrition, so we can talk about the benefits of creating healthy habits and boundaries so that we can live consistently healthier lifestyles.







LISTEN TO THE PODCAST 

WATCH VIDEO BELOW



























Representation Matters For Mental Health with Nadine Ford. Whether it’s a fictional character, family member, or someone in the spotlight we’ve never met- those of us who have been marginalized, excluded, or traumatized by society know just how much it means to simply see yourself in someone else.







Nadine Ford is a drowning prevention ambassador and swim instructor







Tell us a little about who you are and your journey. How did you first start your swimming journey and why did you decide to transition from individual swimmer to starting a US Masters Swim Club?







Starting the only black female-led US Master Swim Club, what do you find is the most common misconception or “myth” you work on dispelling?







How has your experience with swimming, throughout the years, aided your own mental health?







If we have time, how important was the US Olympic Committee’s reversal against the ban on caps for black hair?







Talk about the benefits of swimming for physical and mental health Let’s speak about why representation matters in everything that we do.







How important is it to your mental health, your confidence and self-value to feel included, seen, and represented in the spaces guy walking into on a daily basis (community, job/career, family, sports)