Butterfly Road

Picture this: You've been counting down the days to your vacation, or maybe it's that much-needed semester break, or you've finally reached the off-season. You've worked your tail off to get here, and now you can't wait to kick back and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. But as the return date approaches, a sense of dread starts creeping in. Suddenly, you're bombarded with questions: Am I ready to jump back into the grind? Did I make the most of my time off? And what's waiting for me when I get back? You're caught in this transition where you can't shake off the worry about what's coming up next. But fear not! This week, we discuss how to shake off those post-vacation blues. Join us as we share some tips and tricks to smooth out the return to reality and make the most of your precious time off.

It’s a Christmas miracle! We’re back to discuss pressure, the different kinds, and how to handle them!While we acknowledge pressure is a privilege, we know it can be daunting and overwhelming. If you’re not prepared to embrace your own pressures, you may not reap as many benefits from those experiences. Tune in to hear about the pressures we face on and off the field and the tricks we use to alleviate them.

This week we sit down with Monica Flores. Monica is an integrative health practitioner who looks to enhance the lives of others through holistic measures. Recently retired from professional soccer, Monica is now continuing her journey to change how people understand the connection between diet and mental health.During this episode, we discuss the mind-gut connection and how important a healthy diet is to mental health. Flores works with numerous athletes and attempts to shift their focus from societal expectations of appearance to fuel and performance through small changes. Flores also dotes on how the way one eats is a form of self love and nourishment, rather than restriction; through this, she candidly opens up about her own struggles regarding her relationship with food. We are so grateful to have our good friend and former teammate on the podcast with us — make sure to tune in!

Individuals are no strangers to the ups and downs of life. And with those ups and downs comes a struggle to maintain your confidence and self-worth. Factors out of your control, like playing time, injuries, job success, and outside opinions can threaten your identity. How do you maintain a steady mindset in the midst of it all? How do you stay confident through adversity?This episode, we answer those questions and discuss how to build self-confidence and self-worth on and off the field. It’s a common struggle we all face. But it’s manageable with the right tools. Join us!

For as long as we can remember, Sundays have been our least favorite day of the week. The excitement and activities of the weekend are gone, and you’re staring at five days of responsibilities until another weekend comes around. The temptation to be a couch potato is strong, but you know it’ll make things even worse. So, what do you do?Join us this week as we discuss creating your own Sunday routine and things you can do to hit the ground running on Monday.

This episode we dive into the life of five-time NBA All-Star, John Wall. Wall made a name for himself as a point guard for the Washington Wizards, starting in 2010. He faced a storm of hardships including his mother’s death, a ruptured Achilles tendon, as well as getting traded from the Washington Wizards. Through these events, Wall battled with clinical depression and detailed his struggles in a Players’ Tribune article. We discuss the hardships, but more so, the inspiration Wall used to pull himself out of his depression. Once again, we see the positive effects of vulnerability and how speaking out can not only help your own healing, but others’ too.

One of the biggest universal experiences all humans face is transition. Transition in where you live, transition in where you work – transition is unavoidable. And often, transitions bring about a ton of stress and anxieties. This episode we discuss the transition from high school to college, and the obstacles you face with this change in relation to your sport. Suddenly, you’re in an entirely new environment, learning the ropes, trying to make new friends, all while fighting for a spot in the lineup. Join us as we discuss our experience with the high school to college transition, what helped us cope, and what we would tell ourselves now looking back to freshman year.

Expansion teams come with a lot of press, buzz and excitement. But rarely does the public hear about the growing pains of the team's first season. An entirely new roster, coaching staff, front office, and routine are a few of the obstacles expansion teams face. That paired with the transition from your previous club can be a daunting task to face. But with this challenge comes immense growth, and ultimately, amazing life experiences that make you stronger and better on and off the field. Experiences Cari wouldn't trade for anything! Join us as we discuss Angel City's wild ride as one of the NWSL's two expansion teams this year!

DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls’ dominant shooting guard, is no stranger to success. With five NBA All-Star games under his belt, he’s shown poise and consistency in the league since his induction in 2009. However, our admiration of DeRozan is for something that can’t be found on the stat sheet. It comes from the vulnerability to talk about his depression and ignite a long-overdue conversation in the NBA about mental health. Join us as we discuss DeRozan’s background, playing history, and the ways he changed the NBA for the better! 

This week we sit down with Diego Bocanegra-- the first coach to ever join us on Butterfly Road. Diego spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Notre Dame where he coached us. After, he led the University of Houston women's soccer team to their most successful season in program history as a head coach. During this episode, we ask Diego all the questions we couldn't as players and where he sees the future of soccer as it relates to mental health. He shares the pillars he stuck to as a coach and details his perspective on players going through hard times. We couldn't be more grateful for Diego's vulnerability and willingness to divulge on the podcast. Tune in! 

Join us this week as we sit down with Tina Iordanou and Joanna Boyles – hosts of one of our favorite podcasts Two Washups One Pro.  Being former professional soccer players themselves, they know far too well the identity crisis an athlete experiences when they retire from their sport. As they bring us through their stories of retirement and finding themselves outside of soccer, we realize that this life transition is relatable to all types of people (athlete or not). What makes up your identity? How do you cope with the fear of losing your identity after leaving something? What mindset must you have to tackle the next stage of life? Tune in to hear the answers to all these questions and more!

New Year’s resolutions have us all trying to better ourselves this year. And what better way to start than with our mental headspace and emotions! In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking to Emily Perrin, CEO and Founder of Perrin Wellness and Performance. She is an integrative health coach and expert in all things mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. As a former D1 soccer player herself, Emily loves working with collegiate and professional athletes, helping them navigate the mental challenges of their sport.Tune in to hear about her meditation routines, techniques to stay mindful, and how she turned her passion into a career.

Our special guest this week is none other than my cohost, Cari Roccaro!Every athlete knows the grind, challenges, and triumphs that accompany a sports season and Cari’s 2021 NWSL journey was just that. But her ability to stay steady, refocus and deal with those challenges is what allowed her to mentally grow throughout it all. Tune in to hear about her journey and advice she has for those also going through it!

This week, we sat down with former NHL player Stephen Johns to discuss his journey from rock bottom to roller-blading across the country.Stephen Johns played professionally for the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars organizations from 2014 to 2020. He had to step aside for two years and ultimately from the game altogether due to too many concussions. This started his downward spiral leading to depression.Join us to hear the unique story of how he embarked on a cross-country MentalMiles journey and overcame his depression!

It's officially spooky season and what's scarier than Halloween itself? Evaluating yourself through the eyes of other people! Oftentimes, we learn at a young age that others' opinions determine our self-worth. As we grow up, this belief system becomes reinforced and harder to grow out of. But fear not! In this episode, we discuss the origins of your self-worth and different techniques/practices you can use to improve it. We promise it's never too late to work on yourself. All you need to do is take the first step -- so tune in!

We're back and boy do we have a LOT to catch up on! Work stress, breakthrough COVID infections, moving across the country, and the loss of a loved one -- life has thrown us some curveballs. We'd be remiss if we had not taken the last few weeks off. After all, we constantly preach stepping away to focus on your mental health.But now we're recharged and so happy to be back discussing sports, life and the mental rollercoaster ride of it all. Join us! 

This episode, we sit down with our friend and former Notre Dame football captain, James Onwualu! James’ story is unlike anything we’ve ever heard. From injuries, to cuts, to crashing on people’s couches on both coasts, James has been through the ringer. In a league as cut-throat as the NFL, these obstacles can bring you to a dark place mentally. And yet, his resilience pushed him to get back out there every time. Join us as he discusses – for the first time ever – his journey and what the landscape looks like for mental health in male sports.

Do you ever feel like your self-esteem is lower after looking at someone else’s Instagram? Do doubts creep in when you see someone achieve something you desire? Comparing yourself to others is natural—we all do it. However, life is more fun — and more manageable — when we focus on self-growth rather than others' accomplishments. Tune in for a raw conversation on our struggles with comparing, why it’s important to avoid it, and tips and tricks on how to do so! 

From the outside looking in, Terry Bradshaw had it all -- 4 Super Bowls, a great job as an NFL analyst, wife and kids, appearances in movies and TV shows. His never-ending success, colorful personality, and southern charm made him a fan-favorite all over the world. But this happy facade made it that much harder for the public to believe him when he came out with depression and ADD. Some even went as far as accusing him of using it as a publicity stunt.Join us as we discuss the obstacles Bradshaw overcame in a time period known for turning a blind eye to mental health.

We’re strong believers in the idea that if we were all a little more educated on mental illness and how to help, the world would be a better place. Struggling with a mental illness is hard -- we spent the first 25 episodes just scratching the surface! This episode is dedicated to those on the sideline just trying to help. Our conversation dives into what to say, what not to say, what to do, and what not to do. Tune in to hear our advice on being there for someone going through it!