Athletes Beyond the Game

This week, Olivia Arizin shares her journey as a college athlete, discussing her experiences with performance anxiety, the importance of mental health in sports, and the support systems that helped her navigate challenges. She emphasizes the significance of having a balanced identity beyond athletics and offers advice for athletes facing similar struggles. She discusses the importance of finding a balance between fun and intensity in sports, the tools she learned to manage anxiety, and the self-discovery process during her athletic career.     athletesbeyondthegame.com social handles: @athletesbeyondthegame

This week Julia and Sara are solo! They chat about finding a healthy relationship with their sport post-retirement, struggling with motivation, and a big life update.

In Athletes Beyond the Game this week, Julia and Sara kick off season two with D1 track athletes and twins, Sofia and Izze Calabrese. During the episode, Sofia and Izze get real about the realities of being a female athlete in a sport that focuses on weight. They talk about growing up with a twin in the same sport, body image, overcoming an eating disorder, and finding your new identity after retirement.

To close out season 1, Julia and Sara sit down and go over their top three moments in 2025 and what episodes really resonated with each of them. The flow of this episode is extremely casual. We would love to hear your favorite episodes or moments this season!   Visit our website at athletesbeyondthegame.com   Instagram: @athletesbeyondthegame

Sara is flying solo in this week’s episode! She sits down with retired WNBA professional basketball player, Chelsea Poppins. They get into some of Chelsea’s most memorable moments from her career and how she learned to advocate for herself while dealing with injuries throughout her career. Chelsea also talks about her retirement journey, and how she was able to find new passions and an identity outside of athletics that helped her move forward with confidence.   Chelsea played Division 1 basketball at Iowa State before continuing her professional career in the WNBA and various overseas professional teams throughout her career. After retiring in 2019, she has been doing it all. She is the COO of the branding and digital agency, DayCloud Studios, an ESPN+ color analyst for her alma mater, co-host of Champion This podcast, and creator of CKP athletics – a youth program that provides basketball training, mentorship, and life-skills development.

On this week's episode, Julia and Sara sit down with Michele Lowry, former D1 swimmer and D1 college swim coach turned US Ski and Snowboard Team Athlete Professional Development Manager. In her current role, she works with the US team’s athletes on developing themselves off snow and making steps towards preparing for post-athletic careers.  In the episode, Michele recounts how she went from swimming to snowboarding and details ways athletes can create career opportunities for themselves while they are still competing. She gives practical advice for athletes to thrive outside of sport and highlights the many valuable skills athletes inherently have that employers want, even if you’ve never held a job before.

Julia and Sara are joined this week by Miranda Holder. Miranda rowed at Wellesley prior to taking on the head coaching position at Georgetown University. Listen in as Miranda discusses the trials and tribulations of her athletic career, as she diagnosed with a genetic heart condition which forced her to retire at 25.   As always, check out our website at athletesbeyondthegame.com and follow us on social at athletesbeyondthegame!

This week Julia and Sara catch up with 3x Olympic triple jumper, Keturah Orji. They talk about the behind-the-scene experiences of athletes at the Olympics and how to navigate toxic coaching environments. They also get into Orji’s decision to retire early and how to know when it’s time to retire from your sport.   Orji is the first American woman in history to qualify for 3 consecutive Olympic finals in the triple jump, including a 4th place finish in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She is a 10x US champion and the first American since 1974 to win 6 consecutive US titles in the outdoor triple jump. As a collegiate athlete at the University of Georgia, she was an 8x NCAA champion in multiple field events and was named the NCAA woman of the year and collegiate women of the decade. After a decorated career, she retired in 2024 after the Paris Olympics.   Want to share your story? Fill out the form on our website, athletesbeyondthegame.com or send us a DM! Instagram & TikTok: @athletesbeyondthegame

Julia and Sara are back this week talking with Emma Spence, a former D1 Gymnast at the University of Nebraska, and member of the Canadian National Team. Emma had a decorated career, becoming an alternate at both the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the Paris Olympics in 2024.   Listen this week as we dive into topics surrounding what it's like being an alternate, toxic coaching environments, and struggling with body image from a young age.   You can find us on IG and TikTok at @athletesbeyondthegame   To share your story please fill out a form on our website, athletesbeyondthegame.com

Julia and Sara sit down with Riley Tejcek, former D1 Softball player from George Washington University. During her college years, Riley also decided to join the Marine Corps, on top of being a student and an athlete.   Upon graduating, she joined the Marine Corps and transitioned into Bobsledding where she is a member of the USA National Team. Listen in while we go through Riley's career and her new book!   If you would like to tell your story, please head to: athletesbeyondthegame.com   Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @athletesbeyondthegame

The duo is chatting this week with the newly Dr. Kiara Scott - a former D1 basketball player from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Kiara discusses her dissertation and how she is using it to help student-athletes. We also dive into ways to move your body after graduation and the realities of winning and losing.   Please like, rate and subscribe! If you would like to tell us your story, please submit on our new website, athletesbeyondthegame.com   Follow us on TikTok and Instagram, @athletesbeyondthegame

Two-time Olympic Rower, Jennifer Casson, joins Julia and Sara to discuss her journey to the Olympics, the realities of being a professional rower, and what life and training is like in-between Olympic games. They also get into Jenny's forced transition out of rowing after the Olympics removed the lightweight duo category, how to combat burnout culture, and how she went from athlete to business owner for her startup bra company, Daylilie, launching next year.

Popping in your feed to share a trailer we created for ABG!

This week Julia and Sara are solo! They get into the importance of routines after athletics, break down their own morning routines, and discuss how to create realistic routines that can make the transition to life after athletics a little easier.   Check out our new website!! Athletesbeyondthegame.com   Visit us on IG and TT: @athletesbeyondthegame

After a break last week, Julia & Sara sit down with Ciera Howse, former Arizona State Spirit Squad Cheerleader. Fresh off of graduating in May, Ciera touches on the struggles of getting cut her senior year, what motivated her to keep moving forward, and tips for current student-athletes.   Checkout our new website at: athletesbeyondthegame.com Instagram: @athletesbeyondthegame

Former D1 tennis player and Arizona State University alum, Cali (Jankowski) Marrocco, joins Julia and Sara this week on the pod. They discuss the mental and physical challenges of being sidelined as Cali recounts her almost career ending injury the first semester of freshman year as the #2 recruit in the country. They also discuss body image challenges and the perspective Cali gained from her college tennis experience that helped her thrive in her next stage of life post-sport.

Julia and Sara sit down with two Arizona State University athletes to discuss what it’s like being a college athlete in the age of NIL, as well as their views on the current House v. NCAA settlement case that may reshape college athletics.   Bri, a soccer player entering her senior year, and Vivian, a swimmer who medically retired this past year, discuss how roster cuts have impacted student-athletes at ASU, ways they’ve maximized NIL opportunities while in college, and how they’ve each prepared for life beyond the game.

This week, Julia and Sara sit down with Meaghan, founder of Sport Sitters, a platform created to provide NIL opportunities for female athletes (current and former). While this episode is different than our previous ones, we dive into qualities and skills student-athletes possess that are transferrable to life after sports.

This is a fun one! Julia and Sara talk with retired All-American Division 1 gymnast, Nevaeh DeSouza. They start off with some quick-question games to get to know Nevaeh before getting into her training schedule as a gymnast and how staying involved in her sport as a coach after retirement—and now working on a career path completely unrelated to her sport—have both impacted her mindset as she retired from gymnastics. In the second half of the episode, they discuss what fitness looks like after sports retirement, and some of the challenges of finding new workout routines when you’re no longer competing.    Nevaeh competed in all around throughout her collegiate career at Cal Berekely. After graduating in 2023, Nevaeh became an assistant coach at her alma mater as well as coaching youth club gymnastics. She’s currently back in school studying to become a dental hygienist. 

On this week’s episode, Julia and Sara sit down with current D3 basketball player, Jordan Morency, to discuss a variety of mental health topics that many athletes–current and former–have experienced. During their conversation, Jordan opens up about his own experiences, how to separate your athletic performance from your identity, and finding community for vulnerable conversations.    Stigma around mental health has decreased in recent years, but for high level athletes where “strength” is often measured by how much a person can withstand, it can be hard to have open and honest conversations about mental health.

We are solo today!  We recap and give our perspectives on some of our guests we’ve had on the show so far. Stick around for some listener questions and comments that were written in.

This week Julia and Sara talk with D1 tennis all-american and former #1 college doubles player, Holden Koons. During the episode, they discuss many of the life transitions Holden has experienced since graduating from Wake Forest University in 2024, including his experience transitioning from playing college tennis to pro tournaments, his decision to take a full-time job as a risk analyst and move across the country, and the ways tennis is still a big part of his life post-retirement.

Former University of Wisconsin La Crosse D3 collegiate swimmer, Lilly Larsen, joins Julia and Sara on this week’s episode of Athletes Beyond the Game. The conversation kicks off with some fun rapid-fire questions for Lilly before getting into her experience with athlete burnout, falling back in love with the sport, and her decision to go to college close to home after her mom’s cancer diagnosis. They also discuss how to find a job you love and ways to create a new community for yourself after college-even when moving across the country.

On this week’s episode, Julia and Sara sit down with former Division 1 baseball player, Kirby Retzer. They discuss his decision to end his collegiate baseball career early to pursue a career in exercise science, working in the MLB, elements of sports retirement he struggled with, and practical tips for helping make the transition to life after sports a little easier.  As a freshman, Kirby walked on to Florida Gulf Coast University’s baseball team (Julia and Sara’s alma mater!), where he worked to earn an athletic scholarship before making the tough decision to end his collegiate career early to pursue his exercise science degree. After stepping away from college baseball, he interned his senior year on the sports medicine staff for the Boston Red Sox, which was the start to a 10 year sports medicine career in professional baseball. Kirby has helped prolong the careers of present major league players, and now currently works as a Certified Muscle Systems Specialist in Southwest Florida.

Professional tennis Olympian, Christina McHale, joins Julia and Sara on this week’s episode of Athletes Beyond the Game, where she reflects on having success early on in her career as a teenager, being an Olympian, and her decision to give professional tennis another shot after two years away from the game.

Professional Lacrosse Hall of Famer and two-sport athlete, Matt Striebel, joins Julia and Sara on this week’s episode of Athletes Beyond the Game, where he reflects on his collegiate and professional lacrosse and soccer careers, from telling his best sports story to explaining how his athlete mindset impacts his life after sports retirement. Matt, considered one of the best lacrosse players of all time, was inducted into the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2022 after a decorated 14 year pro career in Major League Lacrosse.

We have a fun game at the end! We're flying solo today! We'll be getting into our careers and ways we used our athletic experience and skills we learned in sports to land and do our jobs. Later in the episode, we will discuss our tips for Junior's and Senior's, and things we wish we did before graduating.

Retired swimmer and current Athletic Director of the 3C2A, Rebecca Ensing, opens up about how she dealt with a shifting identity after college no longer being an athlete or a student, how to combat comparison and body image insecurities after retiring, and skills she learned as an athlete that help her succeed in her current career. 

Former D1 Tennis player, Juli Ascua, joins us on this week's episode to talk about her experience as an international student-athlete and creating a life in Florida after college as an accountant. Juli recounts how she decided to move from Argentina to attend college at FGCU, her most memorable moments as a college athlete, and how she combated the loneliness of graduating college and retiring from tennis by focusing on fitness and friends.

For many athletes, the sport they play becomes part of their identity and governs their daily routine so, when a sports career ends, players often struggle with a shifting identity and sudden change in lifestyle. Yet, this challenging transition is often not talked about, leaving many to struggle in silence.