Skadi Sport Psychology | Mental Health & Performance for Athletes

6 coaching strategies for performance anxiety

When "just relax" makes it worse

Hi Reader,Your athlete has trained their butt off—shown up to every practice, hit every mark, checked every box. You know they’re ready.But standing at the start line, they look like they might throw up. (Real talk: this may also be YOUR experience as an athlete!). This is one of the most common concerns I’ve seen with endurance athletes over the past decade, though it certainly appears in other sports as well. Even Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills quarterback, has opened up to talk about how...

1 day ago • 2 min read

what is hrv and why is it the training data your plan is missing

Your training plan is missing this one thing 💓

Hi Reader,Have you ever had one of those days where the workout on your training plan looks totally doable, but your body just… doesn’t cooperate?You hit the track or the trail, and within five minutes, you know. Something’s off. The legs feel heavy. The pace feels impossible. Your heart rate is spiking way higher than it should.Our training plans are always built on assumptions. It assumes we’ve slept well, that our stress is manageable, that last week’s hard efforts left us ready for this...

9 days ago • 2 min read

three people riding bikes (athletic identity beyond the podium)

Why your worst races hit harder than they should

Hi Reader,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?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...

16 days ago • 3 min read

what teen athletes actually need to fuel performance | teen fueling guide

Your teen athlete might not be eating enough 🍽️

Hi Reader,As athletes and families start to ramp up for the fall sports season, we’ve seen a lot of parents buckling up for another season of logistics: gear, equipment, travel accommodations for events on the road, meal prep, snacks, and more snacks. A number of thought leaders in the teen mental health space have been raising understandable concerns about how over-scheduled some of our teen athletes are these days (which is a topic for another day). With their incredibly busy schedules...

23 days ago • 3 min read

The psychology behind defensive athletes

Hi Reader,Have you ever given feedback to someone (or received it yourself), only to find defensiveness on the other end? You know the response. The explanation. The justification. The “yeah, but…” that shuts down the entire conversation before it even starts. It’s frustrating, right? Especially when you’re just trying to help or spent a lot of time preparing for the conversation because you wanted it to land just right. Here’s what I’ve learned working with athletes and coaches (and mentees...

30 days ago • 3 min read

how to navigate the pain cave | exercise induced pain

You asked if the pain cave gets easier... 😬

Hi Reader,Let’s say you’re halfway through a hard training session when it hits. Your legs start burning 🔥. Your lungs tighten. And your brain? (ha!) Your brain starts bargaining. “Just back off a little. You can’t do this.”Welcome to the pain cave, my friends. 😬Every endurance athlete knows this moment, when physical discomfort collides with mental resistance and suddenly you’re fighting your brain as much as the workout.Here’s what I wish I had known earlier: the pain cave never actually...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Is your teen burned out or just tired? How to tell and what to do

Your teen might not be "just tired" 🚨

Hi Reader,Your kid’s alarm goes off, and they don’t move. You peek in and they’re just… staring at the ceiling.“I don’t know if I want to do this anymore,” they finally say.And you’re standing there wondering, is this “normal” teenage angst? Should I push them through it? Or is something bigger happening here?It could be any of the above, but for athletes, it’s important to consider whether burnout is at play. Research suggests 30% of youth athletes experience burnout. (Anecdotally, I’d argue...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

6 Steps to Build self-Worth as an athlete

Your worth isn't tied to your last race 💙

Hi Reader,Have you ever laid awake at night with all the thoughts swirling through your mind…Was it really good enough? Am I good enough? What if I can’t do it again tomorrow?Here’s the thing, and I say this with so much empathy because I’ve been there too: when your sense of worth is tangled up with your performance, it’s like standing in quicksand. Just when you think you’re getting back on top of things, you sink deeper. Exhausting doesn’t even begin to cover it. So let’s talk about...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Belonging in sport finding community as an athlete

Why finding your people in sport can be tough

Hi Reader,Happy July! 🎉 I hope you had a chance to soak up a little Fourth of July joy, whether that looked like fireworks, time with friends, or just a quiet moment away from your training log.I’m writing to you with a pretty full heart this month!I just wrapped up an intense chapter of HRV & biofeedback training, followed by a trip to the Boundary Waters. And just last week, we opened the doors to something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time (the Skadi Community, more on that...

about 2 months ago • 5 min read

When you can't remember why you started in the first place

Hi Reader,Since finishing Unbound 200 and recalibrating my bike/life balance, I’ve had the opportunity to revisit why (and how) I want to show up for myself and others this summer. I’ve noticed others have been doing some work on this lately, as well. Maybe you’re standing at the edge of the track, heart pounding, stomach in knots, convinced that if you don’t nail this workout, you’re not good enough. Maybe you’re navigating a major life shift, and suddenly the athletic identity that’s...

2 months ago • 2 min read