A Broken Record

Episode 13 Guest: Mallory Shake (Former Division 1 Swimmer)

- Mallory tells the story of what it’s like to be identified at a very young age as being exceptional at a sport (by breaking an Olympic swimmer’s previously held record at 8 years old)

- The tug of war playing 2 sports: 1 that you play because you’re really good at it and 1 that you play because you love it. 

- Should you choose the sport you’re good at or the sport you love? How long can you do both?

- The pressure of prioritizing the sport you’re told you are best at. 

- Maybe playing a 2nd sport that you are less serious about is a good breath of fresh air.

- The major differences between individual sports vs. team sports 

- Swimmers are just a different breed…

- “I never had a multi-sport athlete who wasn’t one of the best players on my team.”

- Tunnel vision: Why has playing a sport in college become the end all be all of youth sports? Should it really be the light at the end of the tunnel?

- Learning to identify who you are outside of sports when that’s all you’ve done your whole life. 

- The REALITY of playing a Division 1 sport: It’s not always pretty. 

- The dream isn’t always the dream…The Sophomore slump. Anxiety, lack of sleep, depression, injuries, unbalanced life, long road trips, eating disorders, etc. 

- The struggles, while hard in the moment, help mold you into the person you become as an adult. 

- MORE HOT TAKES (Watch out Disney Adults and Teachers)