{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Pressure Lab ","title":"It's Always You Under the Jersey | Maddie Elwell on Athlete Identity, Self-Worth, and Life Beyond Performance | The Pressure Lab","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1552,"description":"What happens when the sport you love starts to feel like proof of who you are?\nWashington Spirit midfielder Maddie Elwell joins host Keith Wilford for a conversation about one of the most overlooked pressures in high-level sport: the slow erosion of identity when performance becomes the measure of your worth.Maddie played at Vanderbilt University and competed professionally in the NWSL. She knows what it costs to build a life inside a sport, and what it takes to stay yourself while doing it.In this episode, Maddie and Keith get into:How athletic identity forms early and why it becomes a trap for so many young athletesThe pressure of joining new teams and trying to prove yourself every single dayManaging emotions on the field without losing your competitive edgeWhy self-worth and sports performance are not the same thing, even when everything around you insists they areThe practices that helped her stay grounded: presence, real relationships, and relentless self-forgivenessThis episode is for every athlete who has ever tied their value to a result, a roster spot, or a coach's approval. It is also for every parent and coach who wants to understand what is actually happening inside the athletes they care about.\nFree mental fitness tools at myheadfirst.org  \nFollow us on Instagram: @Thepresurelabpod\n@Philaunionfoundation  ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/aCOLZLSQsvs91ubHdJnOnF_QBl8zewxBsD1GbOGIOiE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zNWVi/Zjk4YjFhN2RjYTc0/ZGU5OWVlZWI2YWQw/Nzk4MS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}