The Sport Nova Scotia Podcast

About this Podcast

The importance of listening to the athlete’s voice cannot be understated. The Sport Nova Scotia Podcast will host athletes and subject matter experts who will cover everything from body image and over exercising to eating disorders, athlete-coach relationships, psychological maltreatment, training-life balance, and transitioning out of sport. This six-episode mental health series was created by athletes, for athletes.

Host

Sophie Nicholson is Sport Nova Scotia’s Support4Sport Coordinator and Project Manager. Nicholson graduated from the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University with a BSc Kinesiology.
Episode One: Human First, Athlete Second

Overview

In this inaugural episode, Sophie sits down with Senator Kutcher and Jeremy Bartholomeusz to discuss mental disorders and how they relate to athletes. Jeremy will provide an overview of the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee, and give listeners a teaser of what to expect in future episodes. They’ll chat about the stigma attached to seeking help and the differences between mental health, mental wellness and mental disorders.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Jeremy Bartholomeusz is a national team gymnast and the chair of the Sport Nova Scotia Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee.

Senator Stan Kutcher is a leading psychiatrist and professor who has helped young people successfully manage major mental illnesses. His appointment to the Senate allows him to put his decades of medical, academic and policy expertise at the service of all Canadians.

Guests

Jeremy Bartholomeusz is a national team gymnast and the chair of the Sport Nova Scotia Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee.

Senator Stan Kutcher is a leading psychiatrist and professor who has helped young people successfully manage major mental illnesses. His appointment to the Senate allows him to put his decades of medical, academic and policy expertise at the service of all Canadians.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Episode Two: Body Image, Eating Disorders and Sport

Overview

In this episode Sophie hosts clinical therapist Rania and former national team judo athlete Alex Gagnon to chat about the correlation between competitive sport and body image. The trio discusses how unhealthy relationships with food and body image manifest, and what healthcare professionals and coaches can do to support their athletes.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Alex Gagnon is a former national team judo athlete who competed internationally until 2020 when she retired due to injury. Gagnon is currently in her final year of an honors degree in sociology where she researches the normalization of weight cutting in combat sports. 

Rania is a clinical therapist with Eating Disorders Nova Scotia. With a Masters in Counselling Psychology and over eight years of experience as a clinical therapist, ElSouri supports folks dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, and disordered

Guests

Alex Gagnon is a former national team judo athlete who competed internationally until 2020 when she retired due to injury. Gagnon is currently in her final year of an honors degree in sociology where she researches the normalization of weight cutting in combat sports. 

Rania is a clinical therapist with Eating Disorders Nova Scotia. With a Masters in Counselling Psychology and over eight years of experience as a clinical therapist, Rania supports folks dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, and disordered.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Episode Three: Coach-Athlete Communication

Overview

Today Sophie meets Lori, Caelan and Maddie to talk about the power-dynamics that exist in sport, and the importance of mutually respectful relationships between athletes and coaches. The group reflects on personal experiences when conversations with coaches didn’t go as planned, and Lori provides tips to foster more effective two-way dialogue.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Dr. Lori Dithurbide is a sport psychology professor at Dalhousie University who focuses on the psychosocial aspects of sport and physical activity. Dr. Dithurbide is also a mental performance consultant at the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic.

 

Maddie MacDonald is a rugby player and coach who also works for the Government of Nova Scotia in the community sport and recreation sector. MacDonald is currently working in an interim position with the North American Indigenous Games.

 

Caelan Shaw is a former freestyle skier with Team Nova Scotia. She recently transitioned from athlete to coach, and now works as an instructor with the Wentworth All Mountain Ski Program.

Guests

Dr. Lori Dithurbide is a sport psychology professor at Dalhousie University who focuses on the psychosocial aspects of sport and physical activity. Dr. Dithurbide is also a mental performance consultant at the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic.

 

Maddie MacDonald is a rugby player and coach who also works for the Government of Nova Scotia in the community sport and recreation sector. MacDonald is currently working in an interim position with the North American Indigenous Games.

 

Caelan Shaw is a former freestyle skier with Team Nova Scotia. She recently transitioned from athlete to coach, and now works as an instructor with the Wentworth All Mountain Ski Program.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Episode Four: Psychological Maltreatment in Sport

Overview

In this episode Sophie sits down with Dr. Kerr to discuss and define the most common form of harm that occurs in sport- psychological maltreatment. The duo talks about the impact that psychological maltreatment can have on athletes, how to identify when something’s not right, and avenues to seek help.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Dr. Gretchen Kerr
is a kinesiology and physical education professor at The University of Toronto. Kerr specializes in maltreatment in sport and works closely with sport organizations to advance their safe sport practices.

Guests

Dr. Gretchen Kerr
is a kinesiology and physical education professor at The University of Toronto. Kerr specializes in maltreatment in sport and works closely with sport organizations to advance their safe sport practices.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Episode Five: Sport Life Balance

Overview

Sophie Nicholson hosts Natalie, Mikayla and Sophie to talk time management and the importance of balancing sport and every-day life. The group chats about the value of prioritization, and shares tips for identifying (and preventing) mental and physical burn-out. This episode offers a unique range of prospective that athletes at any stage of their competitive career will relate to.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Natalie Randall Price is an osteopath and athletic therapist at Cove Sport Therapy where she specializes in injury assessment and management, prevention, rehabilitation and re-training.

Mikayla Boucher is a medical science student and varsity track athlete at Dalhousie University.

Sophie Carmichael is a varsity basketball and volleyball, and cross-country athlete at Auburn High School.

Guests

Natalie Randall Price is an osteopath and athletic therapist at Cove Sport Therapy where she specializes in injury assessment and management, prevention, rehabilitation and re-training.

Mikayla Boucher is a medical science student and varsity track athlete at Dalhousie University.

Sophie Carmichael is a varsity basketball and volleyball, and cross-country athlete at Auburn High School.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Episode Six: Transitioning Out of Sport (part one)

Overview

In this two-part episode Sophie, Tina, Cherokee and Jeremy discuss the mental and physical ramifications of leaving sport. They chat about the necessity to redefine yourself once “athlete” is no longer part of your identity, and what staying active looks like without coaches, tournaments or trainers.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Tina DeRoo is a mental performance consultant with the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic focusing on provincial-level athletes. She also works at the YMCA as a personal trainer.

Cherokee Robinson was a multisport athlete who represented Nova Scotia in both basketball and football. Robinson transitioned to USport, and played for Acadia before taking some away from university this year.

Guests

Tina DeRoo is a mental performance consultant with the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic focusing on provincial-level athletes. She also works at the YMCA as a personal trainer.

Cherokee Robinson was a multisport athlete who represented Nova Scotia in both basketball and football. Robinson transitioned to USport, and played for Acadia before taking some away from university this year.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Episode Six: Transitioning Out of Sport (part two)

Overview

In this two-part episode Sophie, Tina, Cherokee and Jeremy discuss the mental and physical ramifications of leaving sport. They chat about the necessity to redefine yourself once “athlete” is no longer part of your identity, and what staying active looks like without coaches, tournaments or trainers.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.

Guests

Tina DeRoo is a mental performance consultant with the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic focusing on provincial-level athletes. She also works at the YMCA as a personal trainer.

Jeremy Bartholomeusz is a national team gymnast and the chair of the Sport Nova Scotia Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee.

Guests

Tina DeRoo is a mental performance consultant with the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic focusing on provincial-level athletes. She also works at the YMCA as a personal trainer.

Jeremy Bartholomeusz is a national team gymnast and the chair of the Sport Nova Scotia Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee.

Resources

The list of resources below was sourced by the Safe Sport Athlete Advisory Committee and the subject matter expert from this episode.