The Mental Game in Sports with Aren Ulmer

A conversation about the mental game of sports and performance. This episode features special guest, Aren Ulmer. In this episode, we discuss athlete mental health and Aren's own journey as an athlete and beyond.

Episode Highlights:

1. Journey to Mental Wellness: Discover the spark that ignited Aren's interest in athlete mental health and led him to pursue a master's degree.
2. Birth of the Podcast: Uncover the story behind the creation of the Athlete Mindset podcast and its mission.
3. The CMPC Role: The responsibilities and impact of a Certified Mental Performance Consultant.
4. Identity Beyond Sport: Learn why athletes shouldn't define themselves solely by their sports achievements.
5. The Power of 'Why': Understand the importance of knowing the reasons behind your actions and decisions in sports.
6. Sport Transition Strategies: Get insights into effectively switching sports and adapting to new challenges.
7. Balancing Motivations: Explore how to find equilibrium between internal drive and external pressures.
8. Mindful Performance: Hear about Aren's collaboration with the Golden State Warriors Foundation and his approach to enhancing performance through mindfulness.

About Aren Ulmer:

• Educational Background: Aren holds an MA from Holy Names University, specializing in applied sport psychology.
• Professional Expertise: Combining collegiate athletics and coaching experience, Aren offers a unique blend of academic knowledge and practical know-how.
• Holistic Approach: Focusing on both mental skills and emotional intelligence, Aren aims to enhance performance on and off the field.
• Collaborative Initiatives: Aren's work includes designing mindfulness workshops for the Golden State Warriors Foundation, benefiting a diverse clientele including NCAA and FIBA athletes, coaches, executives, and educators.

Production Team:

• Athlete Mindset is part of the podcast network, QuietLoud Studios
• Presented by SportsE Media: a digital sports media brand for entrepreneurs engaged in sports

Social Media:

• Lisa Bonta Sumii: LinkedIn | Instagram | website
• SportsE Media:  TikTok | Instagram | X
• Aren Ulmer: Instagram | LinkedIn | X

Related episodes to "The Mental Game in Sports with Aren Ulmer":

• Duke University's Approach to Athlete Mental Health with Dr. Aaron Goodson
• Understanding Athlete Identity with Kim Brady
• AthMindset | Peak Performance, Biohacking, and Neurofeedback with Angela Martinucci

Music credit:

• Beat Provided By freebeats.io | Produced By White Hot

Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW | CEO & Founder of AthMindset® 

Lisa brings a high level of expertise to the athlete mental health space, from both a clinical and performance focus. She works with elite youth athletes, collegiate student-athletes, Olympians/Olympic hopefuls, professional athletes, coaches, teams, and the entire sport ecosystem.  

Lisa is the first-ever Mental Performance Coach for the Oakland Roots Sports Club, a men’s professional soccer team, in the USL, working alongside other coaches on the Technical Team, as well as the Sports Medicine staff.  

Lisa is listed in the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Mental Health Registry, the NFL Player Association’s Clinician Directory, and the Major League Rugby Mental Health and Wellness Directory. 

As a direct response to need, Lisa founded AthMindset® – a diverse team of athlete-centered, licensed mental health clinicians and mental performance consultants, serving across several states.   

Lisa is a professional podcast host and podcast guest. She hosts the Athlete Mindset Podcast and co-hosts Roots Radio. She is a keynote speaker, an accomplished TEDx Speaker, speaks nationally and internationally, and is often invited to speak at conferences and contribute to expert panels. 

Lisa has been quoted in Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, Women’s Health Magazine, as well as being interviewed on the BBC World News and Radio Bliss, in Jordan. Her first book, The AthMindset® Workbook: Training your mind for optimal mental health in sport and in life is now available. 

Lisa received her Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work and attended the University of California at Santa Barbara as an undergraduate. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Creators & 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/