Mental health matters
Good morning. Being kind is important, especially to yourself.
Many were shocked last week to learn of the death of Stanford women's soccer player, Katie Meyer. The 22-year-old was well-known as a shining light and an excitable presence to be around. It has been gut-wrenching to watch interviews with her parents and teammates, because so few knew she was struggling so much.
Coach Christen Shefchunas said it best, "As athletes you're taught that no matter what, just suck it up, put your head down and keep pushing. Fake it and stay mentally tough."
But that isn't a healthy way to navigate real life and real stresses.
Shefchunas concluded, "Just because you fake it and pretend that you're fine doesn't mean that you are fine. This whole fake it til you make it is a bunch of bullshit. It's time to get REAL. Be HONEST. And speak TRUTH. If you're struggling, speak up! You are not alone. You are loved. You are worthy of a beautiful life."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or dial 911 in case of emergency.
Crisis Text Line: Text SIGNS to 741741 for 24/7, anonymous, free crisis counseling. Visit Mental Health First Aid for additional resources: mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/.
Other big news this week:
Check out Haylie McCleney's latest softball recaps.
Colleen Young has a new blog post!
P.S. Nervous about missing upcoming news from CG Sports? Follow us on Instagram (@cgsportsco), Facebook (CG Sports Management), and, of course, our weekly newsletter.
WHAT'S HOT
A roundup of the CG Sports Teams' favorite weekly content from the most 🔥 athletes in the biz.
Roșie Brennan has not missed a beat, traveling from the 2022 Winter Olympics back to the World Cup circuit. Brennan finished seventh in the women's 30k classic at Holmenkollen. In a statement to the press, Brennan commented, "Today was huge for me...I am really proud of giving myself another chance to put together a good race here and to have managed the stress and anxiety well enough to do so."
Natalie Hinds competed at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Westmont this past weekend. While there, Hinds caught up with SwimSwam, answering questions about her move to Gainesville and winning an Olympic medal.
The 2022 TYR Pro Swim Series splashed into action in Westmont, Illinois this past weekend. Several CG Sports athletes were in attendance delivering some swift times: Natalie Hinds (50 free - 25.29, 100 free - 54.74, and 100 fly - 58.73), Beata Nelson (100 free - 55.83, 200 free - 2:00.60, 100 fly - 58.24, and 200 IM - 2:11.76), Patrick Callan (200 free - 1:49.83), and Paige Madden (200 free prelims - 1:57.67).
DEMAND YOUR BRAND
How to Embrace Weaknesses
Much like you should not neglect a muscle imbalance if you plan to continue increasing weight in the gym, you should address weaknesses in business or bring in help. Why and how can you embrace your weaknesses to change your presence in the workplace? Besides a professional development meeting with your team or lead staff member, you can:
Shadow a senior level manager and learn a new skill
Request to see how your work is used after it is passed on or input into a system
Ask for tips on a project from an experienced co-worker or manager
Take note of habits or organizational styles that work well in senior positions that you can adopt into your own routine
These are limited suggestions, yet all have the potential for large rewards. Diving into some self-assessments, personal exploration quizzes, and even personality quizzes may also provide insight into "natural" gifts or apparent weaknesses. By acknowledging room for improvement and expressing the desire to be better, not only will you be able to build relationships with your colleagues, but you will also have the opportunity to grow your understanding of your business, company workflow, and potential ways to scale your successes long-term.
3 Ways to Support Pro-Athlete Mental Health
Today we examine ways in which we can provide tools to better support Olympic, professional and elite athletes on their mental health journey.
As seen by HBO's documentary "The Weight of Gold," the strain on an athlete's mental health comes from many areas. Training, competing, putting your life on hold, media attention, financial instability, sponsor commitments and, not to mention, social media.
One big area that stood out to me was the uncertainty athletes face of what to do once they are done competing. Many athletes describe it as "having to start all over" and feeling like they "wasted" valuable time.
Here are three ways that we can continue to support athletes with this post career uncertainty while preparing them for the next phase in their lives.
Pro-active financial wellness education.
Health insurance
Develop the brand early
Read the rest of Cejih Explains online.
SPONSOR
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But it doesn't stop there! Easton has released their 2022 bats, including the Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, and Advanced Ghost.
See all that Easton has to offer here!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
In case you missed it: Colleen Young has her own blog! In anticipation of college championship season, Young has published "A Tribute to College Swimming."
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ
A collection of the CG Sports Teams' favorite random news of the week. 📚
NBA: Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs has tied the record for NBA coaching wins.
Gymnastics: Russian gymnast, Ivan Kuliak, is facing disciplinary action for wearing the "Z" symbol on his uniform at the World Cup stop in Doha.
NHL: The Stanley Cup Playoffs have received a makeover for the first time in 13 seasons.
PODCASTS
Catch up with Champion's Mojo
There are a LOT of podcasts available to listen to these days, so in between new episodes, we wanted to help you choose your next listen. (You didn't ask for our advice, but we wanted to offer it anyway.) Rowdy Gaines speaks with host Kelly Palace about the role that enthusiasm has played in his success in the pool and in life in this throwback episode. He credits his father’s big personality and his four daughters for feeding his enthusiasm in life, as well as a genuine love for swimming. According to Gaines, the keys to his success in swimming and life are a sense of responsibility, dedication to the sport or career, teamwork and taking risks.
Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.
