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Tackle What’s Next

@tacklewhatsnext

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☞ We talk about what’s next
☞ Changing the narrative for athletes in life after sports
☞ Prioritize YOU in your next chapter

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We are closing out the final week of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth by sharing a couple more of our favorite clips from an event we did last May with @thehiddenopponent.

This week, we’re sharing two final clips that highlight some of the misconceptions around improving our mental health and being open about what we are going through. Snowboarder and CrossFit athlete Natalie Allport and former pro soccer player and Founder of the You Choose Movement, Billy Garton, Jr. shed light on some of the real truths about prioritizing your mental well being, sharing your story and letting others in to support you.

Natalie reminded us that it can be really hard to take care of ourselves sometimes. It may take effort to do what we know will help us feel better. “Sometimes it’s hard to do the things you know will help you in the moment. Sometimes it takes having something that can push you to make that jump to go and do it. It’s not always going to be easy to do those things - sometimes in the moment you will have to force yourself to do them.” @natalieallport

Billy opened up about how he was lying to himself about what he was experiencing, and how that led him to struggle on and off of the field. “The first step for me became being honest, and recognizing that honesty is not in the absence of fear, but it takes immense courage to do it the first time, and the first few times. I’m probably four or five years into this journey now and it still takes immense courage to invite people into my world.” @billygartonjr

What learnings do you have about navigating your mental health? Add them thoughts to the comments below. And be sure to follow Natalie and Billy, and The Hidden Opponent to learn more about their work and the resources they share for fellow athletes. 💚 by @tacklewhatsnext

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2 years ago

We called a timeout with Steve Davis Jr. (@SHED_AVE), founder of Strive Higher After Sports and former college football player. Steve shared how football impacted his life on and off the field, and why community has played such an important role throughout his journey. He talks about his own experience transitioning out of sports and figuring out what’s next, and shares some valuable advice for other athletes around life after sports and what he’s taken with him from his athletic experience.

“It’s not a distraction to say I want to prepare myself to have the best life I can have, while also being the best player that I can be. You can do both at the same time. It is not a bad thing. I call this the plan A1 and plan A2 - you can do both of those things.”

Join us Wednesdays at 6pm EST LIVE on IG as @danielle.eb.ruiz chats with athletes and execs about the impact sport has made in their lives and what lessons they’ve taken from sport into their different endeavors. #TWNTimeout

#tacklewhatsnext #lifeaftersports #morethananathlete #athleteand #athleteidentity #athletecareertransition #offthefield #whatsnext #mindset #identity #community by @tacklewhatsnext

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2 years ago

Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to join fellow member organizations and athletes from the Athlete Mental Health Alliance in DC for an Athlete Mental Health Advocacy Day with @athletesforhope.

Our founder went to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators alongside representatives from @hilinskishope and @athletesforhope to talk about the importance of legislation that focuses on the health and safety of collegiate and youth athletes, particularly around mental health support and resources.

We also got to hear from athletes, coaches, and families of athletes affected by mental illness and suicide. Thank you to each of you who bravely shared your story in hopes to build awareness, reduce the stigma, and create more support for those struggling with mental illness, especially in sport.

A huge thank you to the team at AFH for putting this incredible day together. 💚💚

#mentalhealthawarenessmonth #athletementalhealth #amha #tacklewhatsnext by @tacklewhatsnext

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2 years ago

Happy #MentalHealthActionDay! We are continuing to celebrate #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth by sharing a few of our favorite clips from an event we did last May with @thehiddenopponent.

This week, we’re sharing two clips focused on the challenges that athletes can uniquely face when prioritizing and navigating their mental health, especially when thinking about life outside of sports. Snowboarder and CrossFit athlete Natalie Allport and former NCAA football player Josh Copeland both share why athletes have unique challenges when it comes to separating their identity from what they do in their sport, and the mental health challenges that come along with that.

Natalie shared the importance of taking time for yourself away from your sport. “Work on who you are outside of just what you do. I know a lot athletes don’t want to take days off, like active recovery and rest days, but think of those days as an opportunity where you could explore other passions like reading, journaling, going to therapy, checking in with family members.” @natalieallport

Josh highlighted the difference between who you are vs. what you can do. “Athletes are loved more for what we can do than who we are. So as athletes, we get lost in who we are, because we fall in love with what we can do instead of who we are as well. It comes down to developing who you are as a person. Develop YOU. Remove the athletic part. If you don’t develop your own self, you won’t be able to perform at the highest level possible because there’s always going to be a hurdle that you’re overcoming.” @learn2cope

What has been a challenge for you as an athlete navigating your identity outside of your sport? How have you worked to build an identity outside of the game? Add your thoughts to the comments below. And be sure to follow Natalie and Josh, and The Hidden Opponent to learn more about their work and their messages to fellow athletes. 💚 by @tacklewhatsnext

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2 years ago

In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth and #AthleteMentalHealthWeek #AMHW, we’re sharing out some of our favorite clips from an event we hosted last May with our friends at @thehiddenopponent. We had some incredible athletes join us to share their experience, advice and perspective around navigating mental health as a current or former athlete.

This week, we’re sharing two clips around the importance of speaking up and sharing our experiences. NCAA swimmers Nina Kucheran and Abdelrahman Elaraby share why they speak out about their experiences and how they hope to normalize the conversation.

Nina opened up about her battle with perfection that can be common for many high performing athletes. “I was so obsessed with the idea of perfection and not letting anyone see the cracks that were slowly forming that it led me to self destruction. If I had been better at letting people in, or not being so obsessed with the idea of perfection, or just hearing someone else going through similar struggles - it probably would have helped me a lot sooner.” @ninakucheran

Abdelrahman shared why he shares his story. “My whole goal is to normalize this as much as I can. You can’t break a stigma around something that we don’t know or if it seems taboo or like a secret. I speak about this so bluntly and boldly as much as I can. Sometimes it triggers a lot of people, sometimes it triggers me too, but I try to do it as safe and nice as possible, so we can normalize the conversation.” @haridiiii

Why is speaking out about mental health and normalize the conversation important for you? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

And be sure to follow Nina and Abdelrahman, as well as The Hidden Opponent to learn more about what they are doing to change the conversation around mental health in the world of athletes. 💚 by @tacklewhatsnext

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2 years ago

We are proud to join in Athlete Mental Health Week #AMHW alongside @AthletesforHope and @HilinskisHope! Together, let’s work to break the stigma around mental health, amplify athlete voices, and support each other’s mental well-being.

Athletes face unique challenges on and off the field. Let’s come together to share stories, support each other, and prioritize mental wellness. Your mental health is just as important as your physical fitness.

From students to Olympians, mental health matters for every athlete. Swipe ➡️ for more, and check out the AFH resource hub here for tools and support: https://www.athletesforhope.org/what-we-do/afh-mental-health/whole-being-athlete-resource-hub/

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#mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawarenessmonth by @tacklewhatsnext

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2 years ago

We called a timeout with entrepreneur & podcast host, Seby Balan (@SebyPodcast). He joined us to talk about how sports made an impact on his life and how those skills play a role in his work today. Plus, Seby shared what inspired him to become an entrepreneur and to start a podcast, and offered his advice to fellow athletes about approaching life after the game. #TWNTimeout
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Join us Wednesdays at 6pm EST LIVE on IG as @danielle.eb.ruiz chats with athletes and execs about the impact sport has made in their lives and what lessons they’ve taken from sport into their different endeavors.
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#tacklewhatsnext #lifeaftersports #morethananathlete #athleteand #athleteentrepreneur #entrepreneurship #podcast #sebymedia by @tacklewhatsnext

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3 years ago

Former college football player and Founder of @walkon_nation, Michael Willett (@justwillett) shared how he embraced his fear of failure at our Athlete Entrepreneurship Summit. He talked about the times he took a leap and put his neck out on the line without knowing if it would work out, but knowing that in the end, it’s all for the best because he tried.

“As an entrepreneur, you can’t fear failure, because failure is going to happen. In life, failure is going to happen. Being able to adapt and learn from failure is a skill that I’ve learned over the years - being comfortable with who I am and being able to accept fear, embrace it and learn from it.”

Thank you Michael for showing us how important it is to take the leap, and to not let failure hold us back!

#athleteentrepreneur #entrepreneurship #athletetoentrepreneur #morethananathlete #rejection #fearoffailure #entrepreneur #athleteentrepreneursummit #walkonnation #tacklewhatsnext by @tacklewhatsnext

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3 years ago

Our December Athlete of the Month is Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel!

Jordan (@nativein_la) is a citizen of Kul Wicasa Oyate (Lower Brule Sioux Tribe) and a passionate and devoted advocate for Indian Country and all people. She is nationally known for her advocacy and grassroots organization for anti-pipelines/climate justice efforts, change the name/not your mascot, the epidemic and crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR), and native youth initiatives.

She is the founder and organizer of Rising Hearts (@rising_hearts), an Indigenous led grassroots group devoted to elevating Indigenous voices and promoting intersectional collaborative efforts across all movements with the goals of racial, social, climate, and economic justice.

Currently, Jordan is using her running platform to help raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives by dedicating the miles she runs to a missing or murdered Indigenous person. This movement she created, called #RunningForJustice, is now intersecting this effort and prayers for Black lives, Asian lives, and other lives impacted by white supremacy, racism, and systems of oppression, as well as calling an end to police brutality.

She is a professional runner with Janji, and sits on the Board or Advisory Councils of ReNew Earth Running, Outdoorist Oath, Seeding Sovereignty, and Runner’s for Public Lands. Jordan also consults on documentaries as Indigenous advocate, and serves as a Producer and Director on films focused on Indigenous Earth Protectors, runners, and supporting families impacted by MMIR.

We're excited to highlight Jordan and share more about her efforts this month. You can learn more about Jordan and her work on her website and read our full interview with Jordan at the #linkinbio!

#athleteofthemonth #athleteadvocacy #athleteidentity #risinghearts #athleteand #runningforjustice #whatsnext #morethananathlete #tacklewhatsnext #jordanmariedaniel #MMIR by @tacklewhatsnext

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3 years ago

Former DI basketball player and now founder of Paysuite and Catalyst Training & Development, @keithsconiers, shared with us his keys to entrepreneurship. He emphasized the importance of planning not just for your business but for you personally.

“Figure out your core values - both what you’re going to build your business by and what you’re going to build your life by. You’re going to need that to filter every single thing and every single decision, relationship that you’ll find yourself in.”

Keith’s keys to entrepreneurship are so important, and we love that he focuses on not only the goals you have for your business, but the goals you have for your lifestyle as an entrepreneur.

#athleteentrepreneur #entrepreneurship #athletetoentrepreneur #morethananathlete #keystoentrepreneurship #entrepreneur #athletetoentrepreneursummit by @tacklewhatsnext

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3 years ago

Crossfit athlete, former Team Canada Snowboarder, entrepreneur and mental health advocate @natalieallport opened up about rejection at our #AthleteEntrepreneurshipSummit last year. She talked about how getting rejected can tell you how strongly you feel about your idea and the problem you’re solving, and how it can be a real gut check moment.

“If you have that really strong ‘why’ and it’s been driven home, and you know that’s what you want to do, then getting rejected should just trigger a feeling that you have to go harder.”

Thank you Natalie for reminding us that rejection can be a helpful motivator for us to keep pursuing the solutions to the problems we’re passionate about solving!

#athleteentrepreneur #entrepreneurship #athletetoentrepreneur #morethananathlete #rejection #entrepreneur #athletetoentrepreneursummit by @tacklewhatsnext

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3 years ago

As we approach the busy holiday season, it's important to remember to actually give yourself a break during your time off.

That can be a lot easier said than done, so in this week's Playbook Blog Highlight, we're sharing a few tips to help you enjoy time away.

What are your tips for disconnecting? Add them to the comments below👇

Check the full blog post out here: https://www.tacklewhatsnext.com/blog/making-the-most-of-breaks

#disconnect #giveyourselfabreak #taketimeforyou #blogpost #tacklewhatsnext by @tacklewhatsnext

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3 years ago