Hi Reader,
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You know that feeling after a bad race when your entire mood just… crashes? When one disappointing workout can ruin your whole week? When the thought of injury doesn’t just scare you, but feels like it would completely change who you are?
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Yeah. I see this all the time with the athletes we work with at Skadi. I’ve also experienced it myself, especially when I was deep into chasing my road racing goals after transitioning from triathlon.

At the time, I knew I had a lot of power on the bike, but I didn’t yet have the pack handling skills or tactical knowledge needed to do well in crits. It was super humbling. And at the time, I hadn’t yet rounded out my professional identity. Because of that, road racing was taking up too much of my identity. I was hustling for belonging (but looking for it in the wrong places).
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In other words, when our world comes crashing down because things don’t go as planned in sport, it’s not necessarily because you care too much about your sport. It’s often because your sport might be carrying too much weight in how you see yourself.
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Researchers call this identity foreclosure, which happens when “athlete” becomes your only identity before you’ve had a chance to discover who else you might be.

Here’s what 50 years of research on athletic identity shows us: Athletes with exclusively athletic identity experience significantly worse outcomes during transitions, injuries, and setbacks. They show higher rates of anxiety and depression following a poor performance. They also struggle more with career transitions (at every level!).
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The cool part is that when we flip the script and encourage athletes to start leaning into other areas of their identity, so many things start to get better! Athletes who develop multidimensional identity don’t perform worse. They often perform better.
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​Why? Because when your entire self-worth doesn’t depend on your last split time, you can compete more freely. You can take more risks, and then learn from them. You choke less under pressure. You recover faster from setbacks. You sustain motivation longer.
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Though it may be counterintuitive, the trick behind all of this is that you don’t need to care less about your sport. You just need to care about things other than your sport.
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So let me ask you: Who are you when you’re not training?
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If that question makes you uncomfortable, you’re not alone. And you’re exactly who needs to hear this.

Quick Identity Check-In 💭

Take 60 seconds right now and answer these questions honestly:
➡️Does your mood completely depend on your last performance?
​➡️Can you imagine who you’d be without your sport?
➡️Are all your close friends from your sport?
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​If you said yes to two or more of these, you may be experiencing identity foreclosure. And, it may be worth addressing before a transition forces your hand. The best athletes are well-rounded. Pinky swear!
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Want to reverse course and start leaning into other areas of your identity? Start here:

1. Name your non-athletic roles. Student, partner, friend, volunteer, artist, reader, mentor, write them down. These roles don’t distract from your sport. They protect it.
2. Use “and” instead of “but.” Instead of “I’m an athlete but I also like art,” try “I’m an athlete AND an artist.” Both identities can coexist.
3. Develop one skill unrelated to athletics. Learn an instrument, take a class, build something. Mastery in other domains strengthens your overall sense of competence.

It’s true that your sport deserves your commitment. It’s also true that you deserve an identity that can weather the inevitable ups and downs of athletic life.
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​Want the full research breakdown? I dove into 50 years of studies on athletic identity, identity foreclosure, and what actually predicts resilience during transitions. It’s based on the latest and greatest research, practical, and written for athletes who care deeply about their sport but are tired of their self-worth crashing with every setback.

🎙️ This week on the Feisty Women’s Performance Podcast…​
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​Dr. Erin Haugen reveals how deliberate “mental rest” can be your most powerful performance tool, turning burnout into sustainable growth. Discover the simple “what if I didn’t do it?” question that flips anxiety into clarity and fuels lasting athletic confidence.
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​🎧Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.​

Til next time,
Dr. A

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