Dr. Andrea Wieland, former Olympic field hockey player, shares the philosophical and practical approach she brings to her current work as a mental health and performance psychologist. Focused on “the team around the team” to create Winning Systems, her ideas can help coaches, parents, and athletes optimize achievement in sports and fitness and beyond.
Highlights include:
1:02 Recalling her peak moments as an Olympic field hockey player
3:30 Her post-Olympic journey toward becoming a mental health and performance psychologist, first focusing on “the team around the team.”
5:58 Similarities and differences of athletes’ mental health pain points across various sports
9:30 When athletes lose their love for their sport
12:05 Unique challenges confronting younger athletes: pressure for early sport specialization
15:57 The need for physical literacy in young people: “Just learning how to move their bodies in space is so foundational.”
18:17 The concept of her Winning Systems mental health and performance practice for youth, parents and coaches, tied to Rudyard Kipling’s quotation from The Jungle Book: “The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
21:16 Advice for parents and coaches on how to help kids get the most from their sports and fitness experiences
24:03 What kids gain from participating in a Winning System that values them first as people, not just as athletes
25:45 The role of socio-cultural identities in creating a Winning System
