Think Out Loud

Broadcast: Monday, July 8

With the Olympic trials wrapping up and the Paris competition on the horizon, sports are top of mind for many people this summer. The pressures of athletic performance will once again be on full display for the world, sparking conversations about athletes’ physical – and mental – prowess. The conversation around athletes and mental well-being has only grown over the past few years as high-profile athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have taken breaks to focus on their mental health.

Oregon therapists Tiffany Brown and Katie Steele focus specifically on this issue. Their podcast “Sports Shrinks” digs into the different ways competition can impact athletes’ mental health. They also recently co-authored their first book, “The Price She Pays: Confronting the Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Women’s Sports — from the Schoolyard to the Stadium.”

Brown and Steele join us to talk more about their projects and the importance of mental health care at all levels of sport, from youth programs to professional athletics.

Contact “Think Out Loud®”

If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.