Playing Through

Jillian Barend
  • 5.0 (2)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Playing Through is a podcast committed to sharing stories related to mental performance and wellness. Each week we will interview athletes and experts to learn how they “played through” some of the toughest moments in their career. Tune in every Wednesday for exciting new content!

  1. MAR 2

    Chris Somerfield - A Winning Mindset

    Chris Somerfield is a senior on Arkansas State's men's golf team. Today, he takes us through his journey from being recruited as an Australian native to becoming conference freshman of the year and dealing with challenges along the way. Chris and I also discuss the mindset that allows him to continue playing free and enjoying the grind of college golf. Enjoy the show!

    28 min

  2. FEB 13

    Olivia Papakyrikos - A Crash Course on Identity and Self-Talk

    This week I sat down with Olivia Papakyrikos to discuss a crash course in everything related to athlete identity and self-talk.  Olivia is a licensed mental health therapist and sport psychology consultant who helps athletes and high-performers strengthen their mental game and support their mental health. She has spent nearly a decade helping competitive athletes navigate pressure, confidence, identity, injury recovery, and the mental demands of high-performance sport. A former NCAA field hockey player herself, Olivia brings a personal understanding of what it means to compete, struggle, recover, and grow. Her practice, Papakyrikos Therapy & Performance, serves athletes and high-performers across Boston and beyond, with a focus on resilience, emotional regulation, body image, and sustainable performance.

    33 min

  3. FEB 8

    Daniella Rosa - Entrepreneur and Founder of AIEA Golf Apparel

    This week, you are going to hear my conversation with Daniella Rosa. Daniella is the founder of AIEA Golf, a women's golf clothing brand that merges together high fashion and the technical performance of sportswear. Her brand is designed with the active woman in mind to create pieces that work with you throughout your day, not just on the golf course.  Daniella’s journey to becoming an entrepreneur is truly inspirational. In this episode, she discusses how she made her decision to ultimately quit her full-time job and go all in on AIEA. She also talks about what it takes to keep showing up in work and in life. Whether you are an athlete, student, parent, or even someone thinking about needing a fresh start like Daniella, this episode is for you!

    24 min

  4. FEB 1

    Zack Kramer - How to Train Your Breath for High Pressure Moments

    Today, Zack Kramer is on the show. Zack specializes in teaching athletes how to breathe specifically for their sport so that they can recover faster, build stamina, and improve their overall performance. He explains in this episode how being intentional about breath work can truly change someone’s performance.  If you have ever thought about exploring deep breathing practices to perform better in your sport, at the gym, or just lead an overall healthier lifestyle, I’m confident that this episode will give you the tools to do so.

    30 min

  5. JAN 25

    "Mentality Wins" Co-Author - Dr. Jonathan Jenkins

    Dr. Jonathan Jenkins is a clinical and sport psychologist who helps high-performing athletes reach their full potential. He is also the mental performance coach for both the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. Dr. Jenkins shares my passion for growing the game of golf as he is also the co-founder of No Bunkers, No Bogeys, a golf community built for underrepresented golfers. Today Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Kimberly O’Brien have released their book called Mentality Wins: The Athletes' Playbook for Thriving in Sport and Life.  In this episode, Dr. Jenkins dives into what inspired him to co–author Mentality Wins and discusses his own journey of finding the mental performance space as an athlete and clinician. We also explore where athletes should start in their mental strength training. This episode is full of advice, inspiration, and wisdom to help you become the best version of yourself even in those moments of struggle! Having been able to get an early look inside Mentality Wins, I encourage anyone listening to check it out in the link below and pick up a copy yourself - you truly will not regret it! Enjoy the show! Link for Mentality Wins: https://tinyurl.com/jkkxnarc

    37 min

  6. JAN 12

    3 Keys for a Successful Season Start

    As we head into 2026, hear about 3 keys for a successful start to a college sport season!

    14 min

  7. 11/18/2025

    Dr. Stephen Ginsberg - How to Train Our Minds

    This week I interviewed Dr. Stephen Ginsberg who is a clinical psychologist and mental performance consultant. Together we discussed his work, and we answered some of the most asked questions that athletes and high performers have about their mental games. Like, what even is the “flow state” and how do we get there? How do we move on from a poor performance during competition? And so much more! Make sure to subscribe to Playing Through wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram @playingthrough_podcast so you don’t miss an episode!  Enjoy the show!

    36 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    Navigating College Recruiting - Jennifer Sorkin Co-Creator of Golfers University

    Today, you’ll hear an interview with Jennifer Sorkin, who is a senior on the Mount St. Mary’s women’s golf team. She is also the co-creator with her brother Aaron of Golfers University which is a college recruiting platform built to help young players connect with college coaches and work with a mental performance coach to navigate what often is a very stressful recruiting process. In this episode, Jennifer and I talk about navigating our own recruiting experiences with limited guidance and how we eventually ended up at schools that were the perfect fit for us.  She shares what made her and her brother want to start their organization, and we’ll chat about some of the dos and don’ts of the recruiting process. Enjoy the show!

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Playing Through is a podcast committed to sharing stories related to mental performance and wellness. Each week we will interview athletes and experts to learn how they “played through” some of the toughest moments in their career. Tune in every Wednesday for exciting new content!

Information

  • Creator
    Jillian Barend
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jillian Barend
  • Show Website
    Playing Through