Athlete Mindset

In this special panel episode of Athlete Mindset, host Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC, is joined by four standout basketball players—Lucas Williamson, Maya Chandler, Aher Uguak, and Anaya Peoples—for a raw and thoughtful conversation in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Together, they explore the emotional weight of elite competition, personal setbacks, and the human side of sport. From dealing with pressure and injuries to navigating identity, criticism, and support systems, each athlete opens up about what mental wellness really looks like at the college and professional levels—on and off the court.

Key Takeaways from “Beyond the Game: Mental Health in Elite Hoops”
  • Mental health challenges are common—even at the highest levels of basketball
  • Injury, isolation, and performance pressure can weigh heavily on athlete identity
  • Talking openly about mental health in the locker room builds stronger team culture
  • Overseas careers bring both growth and emotional strain from being far from home
  • Female athletes face unique mental and physical challenges that deserve attention
  • Letting go of control and embracing uncertainty is a powerful mental skill
  • Criticism is often just perspective—athletes must choose what they internalize
  • Support systems like therapy, teammates, and mentors are vital to long-term well-being
Credits: Athlete Mindset is part of the SportsE Media platform.
Produced by KazCM and featured on the QuietLoud Studios podcast network.

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Creators and Guests

Host
Lisa Bonta Sumii
Athlete Mental Health & Performance| Oakland Roots SC|CEO & Founder of AthMindset®|Published Author|Pro Podcaster & Guest|Speaker: Tedx, Keynote, International|Listed -NFLPA Directory, USOPC Registry, MLR Directory
Producer
SportsEpreneur
SportsE Media is a digital sports media brand & production co for executives & entrepreneurs engaged in sports.

What is Athlete Mindset?

This is the Athlete Mindset podcast. Presented and produced by SportsEpreneur. Part of the QuietLoud Studios Podcast Network.
And this podcast is all about mental health in sports.

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.

Hosted by Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC

Eric Kasimov, Founder of KazSource and the creator of SportsE Media, is generously hosting the Athlete Mindset podcast on his platform as he deeply believes these conversations are essential and deserve to be prioritized.

If you are looking to start a podcast or create original content, you have to talk with the team at SportsE Media. I work with them and I vouch for them. It’s that simple.

About Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMPC

Lisa is a mental health therapist with over 21 years of clinical experience, licensed in both CA and NV. She is a private practice clinician and the CEO and Founder of AthMindset, LLC.

Lisa supports the elite athlete to achieve optimal mental health and peak mental sport performance. She works with adolescent sport teams, collegiate student-athletes, Olympians/Olympic hopefuls, as well as professional athletes and teams.

Lisa is the first-ever Mental Health & Sport Performance Specialist for the Oakland Roots Sports Club. The Roots are a men’s professional soccer team and purpose-driven club. Seeing the elite athlete as a multidimensional human, navigating various roles and identities, is integral to Lisa’s approach. Focusing on the role that interpersonal trauma, culture, race, gender, and sexual orientation play as the athlete navigates life on and off the field, is at the center of her work.

Lisa is listed in the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Mental Health Registry and the National Football League Player Association’s Clinician Directory.

Lisa is often an invited podcast guest and conference speaker. Besides hosting the Athlete Mindset podcast on the SportsE+ podcast platform. She spoke at TEDxWilmington on the intersection of race, mental health, and sport.

She has been featured in Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, BBC World News, and Women’s Health Magazine.
AthMindset, LLC, supports the mental health of the elite athlete and their ecosystem. This includes serving the spouses/partners, family members, coaches, teams, referees/umpires, agents, and athletic trainers, with clinical services and sport performance consultation.

To get more content like this check out https://sportsepreneur.com and https://quietloudstudios.com/