Mental Training Room
Mental Training Room is a podcast hosted by former Division I athletes, Haley Herdman and Naomi Yim. Haley is a current Mental Health Therapist who works with athletes on their mental game and Naomi is a real estate investor with a passion for spreading awareness around mental health in sports. Designed as a community and safe space for athletes, our goal is to foster honest conversations about the mental health challenges that athletes face within their sport while also advocating for more mental skills coaching imbedded into overall training programs, in hopes to close the gap from mental unprepared to MENTALLY ELITE!
Through insightful discussions with a diverse range of guests—including mental health professionals, current and former athletes, coaches, and much more—we aim to provide comfort, relatability, and practical takeaways for our listeners. In our episodes, we talk mindset, performance pressure, recovery, identity, and other authentic stories. While this podcast is not a substitute for professional help, we hope each episode reminds you that you’re not alone in this journey.
If you are in crisis, please reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
Episodes
31 episodes
Mastering Work Ethic & Consistency: Mindset Lessons with Coach Kelly Dormandy
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Coach Kelly Dormandy, renowned mental performance coach and former collegiate athlete, to unpack the game-changing impact of work ethic, consistency, and mindset on athletic success. Coac...
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44:26
How the NCAA Supports Holistic Student-Athlete Development | Lisa Auld on Mental Health & Growth
In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Auld, a leader in student-athlete development, to explore what holistic development truly means in the world of college athletics. We unpack how universities—and the NCAA—are evolving beyon...
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41:15
Inside the Mind of a Pro: Jhasmin Player on Kim Mulkey, Career Transitions & Advice for Young Athletes
In this episode of Mental Training Room, we sit down with Coach Jhasmin Player, former Baylor basketball star and current college coach, to unpack the powerful lessons she learned from legendary coach Kim Mulkey. Coach Player opens up ...
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43:19
How to Set SMART Goals That Stick | Dr. Kasey Philyaw on Motivation & Mental Performance
In this episode, we sit down with sport psychology expert Dr. Kasey Philyaw to break down the power of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Whether you're an athlete striving for that next level, a co...
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33:58
From Basketball to Softball: Morgan DeBord on Leadership, Confidence & Team Culture
In this episode, we’re joined by professional softball player Morgan DeBoard, who shares her unique journey as a multi-sport athlete and her experience playing one unforgettable season of college basketball alongside Haley. We dive deep into th...
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44:05
How to Train Game-Time Emotions | Jenny Smith, LMFT on Mental Skills for Athletes
In this episode, we sit down with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Jenny Smith to explore the powerful framework of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and how its core skills can help athletes regulate emotions during high-pressure game m...
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40:47
Sidelined by Injury: Jalyn Mosley on Mental Resilience, Recovery & Staying Game Ready
In this Spring Session, we sit down with Jalyn Mosley—former University of Iowa soccer player and host of The Jist Podcast—to talk about one of the hardest realities in sport: injury. Jalyn shares her personal journey through the physical and e...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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46:01
Finding Peace in the Pursuit of Perfection with Sae La Chin
In this powerful episode, we sit down with former Rockette and Broadway dancer Sae La Chin to dive deep into the mental health challenges behind the spotlight. Sae La shares her inspiring story of growing up as an athlete with immigrant pare...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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53:30
Mindful Moments with Tal Sahar
In this episode, Haley Herdman is joined by Tal Sahar to discuss Tal's mindfulness journey and how it played a pivotal role in navigating the pressures of her Division I basketball career and her professional athletic journey. Tal shares valuab...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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56:57
Navigating Quarter-Life Crises & ADHD Diagnosis | Real Talk with Haley Herdman & Naomi Yim
We're back and kicking off Spring Sessions of Mental Training Room by sharing some of our life updates with you all! In today's session you'll learn about our full-time jobs, how we are trying to navigate adulthood, and what we are doing to ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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31:55
Mental Health Awareness and Team Culture with LMU WBB Head Coach, Aarika Hughes
Haley sits down with her former head coach from LMU, Aarika Hughes, to chat about the pressures student-athletes face, how coaches' awareness on mental health are changing, and some of Coach A's personal self-care techniques.
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31:39
From Dance Moms to DI Athlete with Juliana Friedman
Juliana Friedman is a recent graduate from the University of Miami. Juli was a four year member of the Hurricanes Spirit squad. In this episode, she gives us an inside scoop on dance culture and its effect on her development as a young woman. S...
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42:39
Athlete Mental Health 101 with Lisa Bonta Sumii
Lisa Bonta Sumii is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She founded AthMindset to work specifically with Athlete's on their mental training and she is the Mental Health and Sports Performance Specialist for the Oakland Roots SC. In this episode,...
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38:18
Recovery and Values with Isabelle Irani
In this episode, University of Maine swimmer, Isabelle Irani, opens up about the eating disorder she struggled with in high school. Although this was an extremely difficult time for her, she is able to speak about it now and reflect on importan...
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47:12
Persevering through Adversity with JaKorey Hawkins, NFL Draft Prospect
In this episode, Haley and Naomi sit down with NFL Draft Prospect and University of Wyoming alumni, JaKorey Hawkins. Hawkins begins by inviting us into the formative years of his life, emphasizing how his childhood experiences shaped his ...
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32:25
Breaking Stereotypes with Kaylee Byon and Anthony Yu
In this episode, we feature two very special guest, Kaylee Byon and Anthony Yu. Both of these athletes share their experience as an Asian American athlete, the struggles they have faced due to their race in sports, and how they are currently us...
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25:24
Just Keep Swimming…Until You Can’t Anymore with Elise Garcia
On this special episode, Elise Garcia (@Elisegarcia_13) opens up about her time as a swimmer at the University of California Berkley. Elise speaks on the struggles she faced with her coach and how the affected her mental health. The...
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51:30
Learning about Resilience with Dr. Theodore Burnes
Dr. Theo Burnes is a licensed psychologist, LPCC, and one of Haley's grad school professors at USC! In this episode, Dr. Burnes sat down with us to discuss resiliency, growth mindset, and grit. Throughout our conversation we de-bunk some myths ...
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34:23
One Year Later with Haley Herdman
This is an emotional and authentic solo episode with host, Haley Herdman. In this episode, Haley shares updates about life after hanging up her jersey. "It is not as glamorous as I thought it would be", Haley says. Listen to hear more about the...
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19:20
Athlete-Minded with Nikki Kett
Nikki Kett is a former Division I swim coach and current athlete life and mindset coach who works with ambitious, athlete minded women to create success and fulfillment in their individual lives. In this episode, Nikki touches on her t...
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39:01
Purpose, Discipline, Consistency with Da Rulk
Da Rulk is a Certified strength and condition specialist. He is also a functional training expert who has taught his Raw Functional Training (RFT) method to military ...
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45:28
Identity Crisis with Taylor Hall
Taylor Hall is a basketball player at Biola University. She has over 10,000 followers on Instagram and has used her platform to advocate for mental health while also giving people an inside scoop of what it’s like to be a student athlete. Recen...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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30:18
Navigating Injuries and Life After Sports with Dani Iwami
Dani Iwami (@daniiwami) is a former collegiate basketball player who suffered three season ending injuries throughout her career at Hawaii Pacific University and Western Washington University. As she navigated her way through the injury/recover...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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32:16
Empowering Athlete's Mindset with Cindy Mosley
This week's guest is mindset coach, Cindy Mosley. Cindy owns "Empowering Athlete's Mindset" where she coaches and specializes in guiding female athletes to harness confidence in their sport and life. Throughout this episode, we talk about unloc...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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40:03
Inequity in Sports with Ali Kershner
In the 2020 NCAA Championship bubble, Ali Kershner, the Sports Performance Coach for the Stanford Women’s Basketball team, exposed the inequities present within the men's and women's tournament. Although this is nothing new to female athletes, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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44:00