Journey to Elite: Lauren Johnson's Path to Mental Performance Excellence
In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad speaks with Lauren Johnson, former mental performance coach for the New York Yankees and founder of Elite by Choice. They explore Lauren's journey from aspiring professional soccer player to overcoming multiple concussions, shifting her focus towards kinesiology and eventually sports psychology. Lauren shares insights on her challenging career path, advocating for mental fitness, the importance of adaptability, and her work with high-performing athletes. They also discuss the misconceptions about mental performance making athletes 'soft' and Lauren's ongoing efforts to bring mental conditioning concepts to children through her new toy line. The episode underscores the relevance of mental health and resilience in both sports and personal growth.
Key Moments:
01:39 Lauren's Journey to Mental Performance Coaching
06:30 Challenges and Breakthroughs
10:16 Working with the New York Yankees
14:02 High Performers: Similarities and Differences
17:13 Assuming Positive Intent
22:17 Defining Mental Fitness
26:01 The Balance Between Toughness and Empathy
30:01 Advice for Young Athletes and Parents
33:33 Tools for Mindset Shifts
37:54 Embracing Uncertainty and Growth
42:50 Lauren Johnson's Future Plans
Visit https://www.centerforsportsandmind.com/ to learn more about Mental Fitness and take your next step!
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