#13 The Mind of the College Athlete: Hear What Famed Sports and Performance Psychologist Dr. Jonathan Fader Tells Us About How to Succeed On and Off the Field

Are you a college athlete? You need to hear this. Are you a student who’s never touched a ball, like Sarah? You need to hear this, too. We know that college-student athletes face intense pressures: performing at the top of their sport, navigating branding opportunities, earning a degree, building friendships, and all while trying to have fun. Oh yeah, and sleep. Non-athletes have a ton to juggle as well. What is the secret to students reaching peak performance and still winning in other areas of campus life? This week we meet with Dr. Jonathan Fader, a nationally recognized expert in the field of sports and performance psychology, who unveils some of the tools he coaches athletes on to become more mentally fit. You’ll hear Fader share the key strategies he’s honed, including: why it’s important to know your “why” when performing how to gain perspective so the mental “yips” don’t get you knowing the difference between ego and confidence why a “full send” mentality beats “just win” every time the importance of anticipating failure and coping ahead for challenges a method for filtering negative results to see them as learning, not failing how to notice your own self-messaging (are you a coach or a critic?) why listening (not “wait-to-talking”) is key in taking care of our college athletes Whether you’re trying to perfect your foul shot, wanting to ace your next exam, or branch out to a new peer group, the sports psychology tools you hear in this episode will help you build confidence, take action, and strengthen your mind just as much as your body. RESOURCES: To learn more about Fader and the work he does, check out his website https://jonathanfader.com/. We also highly recommend his book: Life as Sport: What Top Athletes Can Teach You About How to Win in Life https://jonathanfader.com/writing/books/ If you want to know more about sport imagery rehearsal: https://appliedsportpsych.org/resources/resources-for-athletes/sport-imagery-training/ Want to share your story, give us feedback or offer up an episode idea? Reach out! We'd love to hear from you. Insta: @collegeisfinepodcast Tik Tok: @collegeisfinepodcast Email: [email protected] Music is Deadbeats by Rex Banner