What if feeling discouraged, uncomfortable, or afraid doesn't mean you're mentally weak—but that you're actually developing resilience?

In this episode of the Especially for Athletes Podcast, Dustin Smith and Justin Miller sit down with Vera Jo Bustos (Coach VJ), a former professional basketball player, three-time college All-American, author, and founder of Mentality Solutions.

Coach VJ shares practical mental performance strategies to help athletes, parents, and coaches rethink resilience, manage pressure, and build lasting confidence.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why resilience doesn't feel good when you're actually developing it.

How to turn pregame nerves and butterflies into excitement.

Why mental performance training is just as important as physical preparation.

The difference between confidence built on validation and confidence built from within.

Why the pressure of a playoff game shouldn't change the skills you've practiced.

How mindset, self-talk, and courage help athletes perform under pressure.

Why athletes sometimes need to stop listening to themselves and start talking to themselves.

How parents can help young athletes develop independence by allowing them to face challenges.

Why you should never tell yourself "no" before giving yourself an opportunity to succeed.

Coach VJ also explains the difference between mental health and mental performance, shares lessons from studying Kobe Bryant, and challenges athletes to step outside what she calls their "dead zone."

Whether you're an athlete preparing for a big game, a parent supporting a young competitor, or a coach helping your team develop mental strength, this conversation offers valuable insights you can put into practice.

Learn more about Coach VJ:

Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.mentalitysolutions.com

Speaking and Events: https://www.coachvj.com

#EspeciallyForAthletes #CoachVJ #MentalPerformance #MentalStrength #Resilience #SportsPsychology #AthleteMindset #Confidence #WinTheHour

00:32:17 - Meet Coach VJ: From Professional Athlete to Mental Performance Coach

00:36:05 - Why Resilience Doesn't Feel Good

00:38:55 - Escape Your Comfort Zone: Enter the Dead Zone

00:40:36 - Mental Performance vs. Mental Health

00:44:13 - The Body Buzz: Turning Butterflies into Excitement

00:50:13 - How to Handle Pressure in Big Games

00:52:18 - It's Not Just Another Game—But the Skills Are the Same

00:56:51 - Where Does Your Confidence Come From?

00:57:48 - Three Outer Sources of Confidence

01:01:49 - Training Your Body, Craft, and Mind

01:02:49 - Three Inner Sources of Confidence

01:05:17 - The Power of Self-Talk: Words of Power or Poison

01:06:17 - Why Courage Comes Before Confidence

01:07:30 - Make Somebody Else Tell You No

01:08:56 - How Comparison Steals Confidence

01:10:49 - Kobe Bryant and the Mental Game

01:15:25 - Do Male and Female Athletes Need Different Coaching?

01:16:57 - Why Parents Must Let Athletes Struggle

01:19:16 - Connect with Coach VJ

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Especially for Athletes:

• Website: https://e4a.org

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/

• X: https://x.com/E4Afamily

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits:

Hosted by Dustin Smith & Shad Martin

Produced by Shad Martin and IMAGINATE STUDIO

In this episode of the Especially for Athletes Podcast, we're replaying our interview from episode #150 with (former Utah Jazz) Golden State Warriors forward George Niang—a seasoned NBA veteran whose journey from Iowa State star to ten-year pro is packed with lessons every athlete should hear.

George opens up about the emotional side of being traded, how to embrace your role without losing your identity, and why simply showing up every day gives you an edge over most. He shares stories from locker rooms with NBA superstars like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green—and what their work ethic taught him about staying ready.

We dive into core E4A principles like Win the Hour, Be Resilient, and Compete Without Contempt, as George shares powerful insights on:

• Why work ethic is a competitive advantage
• Balancing humility with hunger
• The importance of being coachable and consistent
• How a simple high-five or kind word can change someone’s life
• And how to use your SportLight to lift others

This conversation is loaded with wisdom, humor, and heart—and it’s a must-listen for athletes, coaches, and parents alike.

🎧 Listen now, share with a teammate, and remember to keep your eyes up and do the work.

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Especially for Athletes:

• Website: https://e4a.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/
• X: https://x.com/E4Afamily
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits:

Hosted by Dustin Smith & Shad Martin
Produced by Shad Martin and IMAGINATE STUDIO

What do NBA teams really look for when evaluating players?

Utah Jazz Director of Operations Austin Ainge joins the Especially for Athletes Podcast to share lessons from a career spent evaluating talent and building professional basketball teams.

Austin discusses why character matters in scouting, what great leadership really looks like, why the best leaders also know how to follow, and why “losing yourself in the team” can improve both performance and happiness.

He also shares insights on handling social media and outside noise, developing resilience, taking mental health seriously, competing fiercely without hating your opponent, and what professional teams look for beyond talent.

From high school athletes to coaches and parents, this conversation offers a fascinating look inside professional sports—and a reminder that the athletes who make the biggest impact aren't always the loudest. They're the ones who make everyone around them better.

Eyes up. Do the work.

00:32:17 - Getting Started with Austin Ainge

00:35:51 - Welcome & Austin's Basketball Background

00:37:30 - Building Teams Around the World

00:39:08 - How NBA Teams Evaluate Talent

00:40:57 - Character Matters: What Scouts Look For

00:42:08 - What Makes a Great Leader?

00:44:11 - Great Leaders Also Know How to Follow

00:45:09 - Lose Yourself in the Team

00:47:32 - The “Holy Grail” of Talent and Character

00:50:34 - Humility: Think of Yourself Less

00:52:37 - Individual Goals vs. Winning

00:54:49 - Win the Hour: Cutting Out the Noise

00:57:30 - The Impact of Social Media on Athletes

01:00:41 - Mental Health in Professional Sports

01:04:32 - Why Coaches Should Take Mental Health Seriously

01:06:40 - Building Resilience in Young Athletes

01:09:16 - Compete Without Contempt

01:11:50 - Dustin's Legendary 120-Foot Putt

01:12:56 - Closing Thoughts

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Especially for Athletes:

Website: https://e4a.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/

X: https://x.com/E4Afamily

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits: Hosted by Dustin Smith & Shad Martin

Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO

At 20 years old, former Spanish Fork High School three-sport athlete and football captain Hunter Rasmussen was accidentally shot in the leg during a hunting trip. Doctors later told him he had been approximately ten minutes from bleeding to death.

What followed were weeks in the hospital, multiple surgeries, a life-threatening infection, and ultimately the amputation of his lower leg. But Hunter’s story didn’t end there.

In this episode of the Especially for Athletes Podcast, Hunter shares the remarkable journey from the moment of the accident through years of recovery and learning to walk again. He talks about the lessons sports had unknowingly taught him for this moment, what resilience means when progress literally happens one step at a time, the importance of taking care of yourself without becoming consumed with yourself, and how keeping your “eyes up” can help you see both the road ahead and the people around you.

Hunter also shares the role his faith played throughout the experience, including moments in the hospital when he struggled to understand how everything could possibly “work out.”

This is a powerful conversation about resilience, perspective, faith, service, and continuing to move forward when life looks nothing like you expected.

Socials:

Instagram- @1_legged_hunter
TikTok-1leggedhunter

Key Moments:

00:32:17 - Meet Hunter Rasmussen

00:35:27 - Hunter’s Story: Sports, Hunting & Growing Up

00:37:30 - Choosing to Serve a Mission

00:39:29 - Returning Home & Starting Life Again

00:40:34 - The Hunting Trip That Changed Everything

00:41:52 - Realizing He Had Been Shot

00:42:27 - The Makeshift Tourniquet That Saved His Life

00:44:12 - “Your Life Flashes Before Your Eyes”

00:45:22 - Fighting to Stay Awake

00:46:37 - “Everything’s Going to Work Out”

00:47:29 - Emergency Surgery & Compartment Syndrome

00:48:39 - Unable to Move His Foot

00:49:25 - Hearing the Word “Amputation”

00:50:27 - A Life-Threatening Infection

00:51:35 - Losing His Leg

00:52:29 - Only a 10–15% Chance of Keeping His Knee

00:53:23 - The Turnaround Doctors Couldn't Explain

00:54:35 - Learning to Walk Again

00:57:58 - What Resilience Means to Hunter

00:59:15 - How Sports Prepared Him for Adversity

01:00:25 - “Just Keep Going”

01:02:43 - What “Eyes Up, Do the Work” Means to Hunter

01:05:20 - Looking Up Helps You See Others

01:06:27 - Take Care of Yourself—Then Help Others

01:09:17 - Reframing Difficult Experiences

01:13:03 - Faith, Adversity & the Story of Joseph

01:15:47 - Pits, Potiphar, Prison—and Your Pharaoh Moment

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Especially for Athletes:
Website: https://e4a.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/
X: https://x.com/E4Afamily
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast
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Credits: Hosted by Dustin Smith & Shad Martin
Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO

Southern Utah University gymnast Kendall McGuire joins Dustin Smith and guest host Justin Miller for a conversation about the mindset behind competing at the NCAA level.

Kendall shares her journey from beginning gymnastics at two years old to competing for one of the nation’s top gymnastics programs, along with her work as a sideline reporter for SUU football and her aspirations to someday work in the NFL or NHL.

The conversation dives into the unique mental demands of gymnastics, overcoming fear after falls, Simone Biles and the “twisties,” mental health in athletics, body image and developing a healthier relationship with food.

Kendall also shares one of the most powerful ideas from the episode: athletes often spend too much time thinking about everything they have to sacrifice and not enough time recognizing everything they gain.

Instead of thinking, “I have to go to practice,” Kendall learned to think, “I get to go.”

She explains how that simple reframe helped her appreciate the friendships, strength, discipline, opportunities and experiences gymnastics gave her.

Kendall also discusses being fully present in practice, SUU Gymnastics’ motto to “underthink it,” accepting accountability, learning from failure, becoming comfortable with discomfort and leaning on teammates who care enough to tell you the truth.

A great conversation for athletes, parents and coaches about gratitude, resilience, mental health and learning to enjoy the process.

Featured Moments:

00:32:17 - Welcome & Meet Kendall McGuire

00:33:48 - Life as an SUU Sideline Reporter

00:37:50 - Kendall’s Dream of Working in Sports Media

00:39:11 - Fear, Falling & the Mental Side of Gymnastics

00:42:12 - Simone Biles, the Twisties & Athlete Mental Health

00:47:26 - Body Image, Nutrition & Eating Disorders in Gymnastics

00:55:36 - The Sacrifices Behind Becoming a College Gymnast

00:57:42 - “I Get To” Instead of “I Have To”

00:59:33 - Growing Up Without Being Attached to Social Media

01:00:22 - Staying Present in Practice

01:02:17 - SUU Gymnastics: “Underthink It”

01:03:48 - How Athletes Can Keep Sports Fun

01:05:23 - Reframing Sacrifice as Opportunity

01:07:09 - Stop Focusing on What You’re Missing

01:08:36 - Resilience After Setbacks

01:13:18 - The Teammate Who Told Kendall the Truth

01:16:31 - Getting Out of Your Own Head

01:19:36 - “What If It All Goes Right?”

01:21:05 - Finding People Who Truly Support You

01:22:04 - Support Without Making Excuses

01:24:39 - Growth Requires Getting Uncomfortable

01:27:33 - Final Thoughts & Good Luck to Kendall

01:28:35 - Eyes Up. Do the Work.

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Especially for Athletes:

Website: https://e4a.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/
X: https://x.com/E4Afamily
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ
Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits: Hosted by Dustin Smith & Justin Miller
Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO

Mental health is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation in sports. In this episode of the Especially for Athletes Podcast, we sit down with Braden Brown, Associate Athletic Director of Mental Health for BYU Athletics, to discuss how athletes can train their minds just like they train their bodies. Braden explains why working with a mental health professional can be every bit as valuable as working with a strength coach, nutritionist, or position coach—and why asking for help should be viewed as a commitment to getting better, not a sign of weakness. We also discuss handling pressure and intrusive thoughts, perfectionism and imposter syndrome, competing without becoming combative, the unique pressures facing female athletes, what parents can do to support their kids, and the importance of developing an identity beyond sports. This is an important conversation for athletes, parents, and coaches who want to better understand the mental side of sports.

Instagaram and facebook handles

@Drbradenbrown

00:32:17 - Meet Braden Brown: Mental Health at BYU Athletics

00:33:12 - How Mental Health in Sports Has Changed

00:36:01 - What Braden Does With BYU Athletes

00:38:13 - Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health

00:39:27 - Asking for Help Is a Sign of Strength

00:43:08 - Why Elite Athletes Are Talking About Mental Health

00:45:34 - Train Your Mind Like You Train Your Body

00:47:13 - Understanding Yourself as an Athlete

00:50:09 - Handling Pressure: Notice, Accept, Commit

00:52:30 - Perfectionism, Anxiety & Imposter Syndrome

00:54:54 - Compete Without Being Combative

00:58:55 - Mental Health & Female Athletes

01:02:32 - What Parents of Athletes Need to Know

01:03:39 - Parents: Listen More, Coach Less

01:05:51 - Talk to Your Kids About More Than Sports

01:07:09 - The Danger of an Athlete-Only Identity

01:08:27 - Who Are You Without Your Sport?

01:14:01 - Building an Identity Beyond Athletics

01:15:52 - How Serving Others Helps Mental Health

01:20:50 - Keep Youth Sports Fun

01:24:41 - Closing Thoughts & Connecting With Braden

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Especially for Athletes:

Website: https://e4a.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/

X: https://x.com/E4Afamily

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits: Hosted by Dustin Smith

Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO

Former BYU safety and current Las Vegas Raiders defensive back Tanner Wall joins the Especially for Athletes Podcast to discuss resilience, leadership, mental preparation, and why pursuing excellence in every area of life makes you a better athlete.

Tanner shares his remarkable journey from preferred walk-on to All-Big 12 safety, the lessons he learned from Kalani Sitake and Jay Hill, and why competing with respect—not hatred—helps athletes perform at their highest level.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why great competitors don't need contempt to compete
• How to gain an edge through intentional preparation
• Why "how you do one thing is how you do everything"
• The difference between watching film and studying film
• How relationships shape your future
• Why excellence off the field leads to excellence on it

Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, or fan, this episode is filled with practical principles to help you become your best both on and off the field.

00:32:17 - Welcome & Introducing Tanner Wall
00:33:07 - Choosing BYU Over Scholarship Offers
00:36:19 - Betting on Yourself as a Preferred Walk-On
00:41:13 - Why He Never Considered Transferring
00:43:00 - Resilience, Patience & Finding an Edge
00:47:28 - Mentors Who Changed His Career
00:51:00 - Compete Without Contempt
00:55:05 - Controlling the Controllables in the NFL
00:58:32 - Watching Film vs. Studying Film
01:03:04 - Winning the Hour Through Intentional Living
01:05:35 - How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything
01:08:19 - Social Media, Priorities & Time Management
01:12:32 - Competing Fiercely Without Losing Character
01:16:08 - Using Your Spotlight to Bless Others
01:20:11 - Eyes Up. Do the Work.

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Especially for Athletes:

• Website: https://e4a.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/
• X: https://x.com/E4Afamily
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits: Hosted by Dustin Smith

Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO

Every athlete experiences highs and lows.

The difference between athletes who continue to grow and those who burn out isn't talent—it's how they think.

Former BYU baseball standout Bryker Hurdsman joins the Especially for Athletes Podcast to discuss the mental side of sports, why staying emotionally steady matters, why athletes should enjoy playing multiple sports, and how focusing on the process instead of the outcome changes everything.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why Bryker wishes he had continued playing multiple sports
• The importance of developing a daily process
• How to stop letting bad games define you
• Why confidence comes from discipline—not results
• Lessons from BYU's mental performance coaching
• How sports prepare you for life after athletics

Whether you're an athlete, parent, or coach, this episode will help you think differently about success.

Remember...

Eyes Up. Do the Work.

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Especially for Athletes:

• Website: https://e4a.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EspeciallyForAthletes/
• X: https://x.com/E4Afamily
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/especiallyforathletes/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbWc7diAvstLMfjBL-bMMQ

Join the conversation using #E4APodcast

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Credits: Hosted by Shad Martin + Justin Miller
Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO