“A mental health diagnosis is not a death sentence”. This episode is about de-stigmatizing mental health challenges and prioritizing conversations around them.
In this episode, Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CSW is joined by a trailblazer in her field, Maya McClendon. Maya works as a mental health and sustainability advocate. Maya was a highly decorated volleyball player at Arizona State University and the University of Louisville. She studied pre-med and psychology. In 2021 she founded The Timeout App. Timeout as Maya says is the future of mental health care delivery for athletes. Maya and Lisa have an impactful and candid conversation about mental health and the “practice of positivity” despite the stigmas that surround it.
Episode topics
- It takes courage to open up and shed light on mental health struggles.
- Community support and connection through mental heath struggles are critical.
- “Storytelling” is the first step toward mental wellness.
- “You can’t spell listen without silent.”
- Coaches should be mental health allies for their student-athletes.
- The ideas and thoughts of black, indigenous, and people of color should be prioritized and fairly represented.
- Emotional intelligence is developed and is an important factor in mental wellness.
- “Diagnosis is not a death sentence.”
- Learning how to shift roles within a team while still adding value to the team
- Bridging the gap between the older and younger generations when it comes to understanding and relating to mental health
- Suicide awareness and prevention
- Support and outreach in the BIPOC community
- Being aware of “veering from a state of wellness to illness.”
- Physical vs. mental health
Key Episode Moment (timestamp)
30:03-32:59 – Maya talks about self-care and the “day-to-day discipline” it takes to manage her mental well-being. She is an example of the fact that high-functioning people can still struggle with mental health. She details the daily practices that help her in maintaining wellness. This includes taking medication, addressing the true issues at hand, emotional intelligence, and putting mental and physical health on the same playing field.
More about Maya McClendon
Maya McClendon is a mental health and sustainability advocate based in Louisville, Kentucky. Maya McClendon was a highly decorated volleyball player at Arizona State University and the University of Louisville. Among her accolades, were AAC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-American, AAC Conference Champion, and ACC Conference Champion. She was also nominated as 2013 Under Armour All-American and was chosen to represent the USA Junior National team in the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation Tournament in Nicaragua. In college, she studied Pre Medicine-psychology and graduated in 2017 before working at the University of Louisville Hospital and shadowing various specialties within the medical field. In January 2019, Maya founded the Sports Metaphor, LCC and participated in speaking engagements for the PAC12, the Green Sports Alliance, as well as various youth programs about holistic health and wellness related to sports. In 2021, she founded the Timeout App a digital health and wellness platform for athletes and sports organizations.
—
This is the AthMindset Podcast Series on SportsEpreneur. And it’s all about mental health in sports.
From Lisa: I’m Lisa Bonta Sumii and this is the AthMindset Podcast Series on SportsEpreneur. This podcast series is a space for conversations with athletes, coaches, practitioners, and stakeholders in sports. And it’s where those individuals share their perspectives, experiences, and thoughts on mental health in sports.
Eric Kasimov of SportsEpreneur is generously hosting the AthMindset Podcast Series on his platform as he deeply believes that these conversations are essential and deserve to be prioritized.
This is the AthMindset Podcast Series on SportsEpreneur. SportsEpreneur — the content platform where sports, entrepreneurship, and mental health collide! If you are looking to start a podcast or create original content, you have to talk with the team at SportsEpreneur. I work with them and I vouch for them. It’s that simple. Go to SportsE.io to learn more.
Are you an athlete or entrepreneur looking to create content? Learn More.
Website worth a look:
- SportsEpreneur
- KazCM Podcast Production
- AthMindset | Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CSW
- The Timeout App
More content on volleyball and athlete mental health:
- Patience Learned at a Girls Volleyball Practice in Charlotte
- SE40 | Event + Response = Outcome with Tim Kight (E+R=O) | A Podcast Discussion
- AthMindset | Black Representation and Visibility in Softball with Zoe Conley
Connecting:
- Maya McClendon: LinkedIn
- Lisa Bonta Sumii: LinkedIn | Twitter
- Eric Kasimov: Twitter | LinkedIn
- SportsEpreneur: TikTok | Instagram | Twitter
That’s a wrap:
- Thank you for listening to this AthMindset Podcast Series episode on SportsEpreneur titled, “The Timeout App and Athlete Mental Health with Maya McClendon”.
- Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Follow this podcast on Spotify
- Intro Music, “escape” was provided by Pluto Tracks.
- Check out more from our content platform: SportsEpreneur. The platform where sports and entrepreneurship and now mental health collide!