The Unspoken Arena

Introducing our first guest of Season 3....Joseph Smalzer!  Joe graduated from Loyola University of Chicago  where he was a DI National Championship and 3x All American.  His personal expectation post college athletics was to give back to a world that has given him so much. Outside of work he spends as much time as he can with his wife and daughter,  being heavily involved with volunteering in underprivileged communities. Together they started a non-profit with a mission to find people and organizations that are changing the world and sharing their stories. Joe dives into his collegiate experience, his professional playing career, and his wisdom and insight on giving back to the world. We know you will enjoy this conversation and learn a lot from an incredible wise and beautiful human!Connect with Joe & Greater Than Zero Percent.- Website: https://www.gtzp.org/- Instagram: @greaterthanzeropercent- Facebook: Greater Than Zero Percent-Podcast: Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com

 This episode we will take you through our biggest takeaways from episodes 1-18, and what we loved most about each. So if you haven't been able to catch them all, or if this is your first time joining us, this episode will give you a good idea on what we have been diving into this season! We have had SO MANY incredible guests come on and share their stories, and passions, and their own version of unspoken topics in their journey through sport. We hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for listening! Coming soon: SEASON 3!! Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com

Kyle Baumgartner is a former collegiate women's basketball player, who has had to pivot and adjust throughout life, while moving all across the globe. Now in the corporate world, Kyle has had to learn, grow, and figure out how to be a strong, female presence following life after collegiate athletics. Kyle is very passionate about the wholistic self discovery process, although it hasn't been easy throughout the duration of her life. Prioritizing her mental health and learning from all of her experiences thus far, she is here to give advice and tell her story. Kyle is a dear friend of ours, and always will be, and we are very thankful that she took the time to connect with us, be apart of a vulnerable space, and touch the lives of individuals around the world. Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcas

Meet our next guest, Sydney Umeri.  College basketball star from The University of Virginia & University of Kansas. Now creator & founder of Retired College Athletes.  In this episode we dive into her story of she navigated living up to the expectations of being the #1 recruit in the nation. Along with how she has overcome the challenges of transferring & retiring from college athletics. Sydney is beyond inspiring & truly a beautiful soul which is why she was a perfect guest for our show. Connect with Sydney & Retired College Athletes:- Website: www.retiredcollegeathletes.com- Instagram: @retiredcollegeathletes- Facebook: Retired College Athletes- Twitter: @RCAathletes- LinkedIn: Retired College Athletes- Email: retiredcollegeathletes@gmail.comConnect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcas

Allie Clifton is a sports journalist and former college basketball player who is currently the TV pregame host for Los Angeles Lakers telecasts on Spectrum SportsNet, after previously serving as Cleveland Cavaliers sideline reporter for Fox Sports Ohio.In this episode you will have the  opportunity to learn from and listen to a former college basketball player turned NBA sideline reporter. Allie carved time out of her crazy, beautiful life to sit down with us and discuss her journey, what she values most in life and how she has grown over the years on the court and on the sidelines at the highest level. Sit back and enjoy the unforgettable advice and words of wisdom that Allie brings to this conversation. This is one you won’t forget .Connect with AllieInstagram: @al.cliftonTwitter: @realAcliftonPodcast: @roadtrippin Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

Introducing our next guest,  Mackenzie St.  Onge!  Mac is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College where she majored in psychology and played both ice hockey and rugby.  Spending majority of her life as a multi-sport athlete, finding herself on the sideline on multiple occasions:  first when she finished her collegiate hockey career, and the second when she broke her collarbone playing rugby. In our episode we talk about how she felt isolated, frustrated, and lost in many moments in he career and how starting the conversation about these thing brought her a great sense of peace that she was not alone.. The more she started the conversation, the more questions came up on how all athletes should navigate everyday things like diet and exercise, as well as the bigger topics like identity, purpose, and self-growth outside of our sports. With those conversations Mac created The Sideline Perspective as a way to bring all together – both as athletes and people – to create a supportive community for answering these questions.  Not only does she dive into her story in this episode, but she dives into some answers to the many questions we all face from the sideline. We greatly were inspired by Mac & know you will be after listening to this episode too.Connect with Mac & The Sideline Perspective Instagram: @thesidelinepersepctive  @m.stonge12 Podcast: The Sideline PerspectiveWebsite: https://thesidelineperspective.com/ Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

Danielle Davis wears many hats. From former collegiate volleyball player, she has made stops in the collegiate volleyball world, and club world, but is also involved in strength; of the body, mind, and soul. In addition to her involvement with the game of volleyball, Danielle is a soul empowerer - and is passionate about understanding how her being works both inside and out. She shares with us her journey of self discovery, spiritual discovery, and the evolution of her mind and her heart. Her perspectives are so valuable, and have the ability to relate to so many facets of life. So take a deep breath, and settle into the wisdom of Danielle Davis. Connect with Danielle:Instagram: @sunnidee_Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

June is Pride Month - a month for the LGBTQ community to celebrate past hardships and current victories. This episode we dive into what pride month means to us, some fun facts about the journey that the LGBTQ community has experienced, and how allies can really step up during this month especially. Celebrate love. Celebrate pride. Celebrate the continued push for equality. Love. Acceptance. Support. A safe space....to you, and to all, always.Happy Pride, beautiful humans.Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

Introducing Kelsey Robinson, an Illinois native, University of Nebraska alum, and currently one of the world's best professional volleyball players. Kelsey has dominated the sport globally, including her performance to help Team USA to a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympic games.  In our conversation Kelsey discusses the ins and outs of her playing career and what it took for her to succeed at the level that she has.  From her youth playing at Sports Performance, to competing at 2 big time college programs, and now as a professional athlete & Olympian. She talks us through some of her most impacting moments along with the many trials she faced & has overcome on her athletic journey. Kelsey gets real about her personal struggles with self worth, confidence, food and body-image,  and finding her identity outside of being an Olympic Volleyball player.  Kelsey is not only a positive role model to millions,  but someone we can call a friend and inspiration to us as well.  We hope you enjoy our conversation with the very special guest and beautiful human, Kelsey Robinson.Connect with Kelsey:Instagram: @krobin32Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpaaQExblIybv2f-GX3vEqwWebsite: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/athletes/kelsey-robinsonConnect with Us:Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

Paola Ferrario is a former collegiate volleyball player that travelled all the way from Italy to play volleyball in the United States. She is here to share with you her experience of making that big move, what she was expecting of the college experience vs what her reality actually was, and her biggest takeaways from being a college athlete. There are a lot of obstacles that international student athletes face, and Paola provides feedback and advice that all coaches and athletes will be able to learn from.Connect with Paola!Instagram: @paolaferraConnect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

Please join us in this episode to welcome our good friend, former D1 Basketball Player, University of Michigan Alum,  now established high school, collegiate and NBA coach; Jay Shunnar.  Connect with Jay:Instagram: @jay_shunnar Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

We are honored to open Season 2 with special guest Sydney Cummings. In this episode we learn about what has driven her passion for inspiring the world through health & fitness.  In out conversation she dives into her successful athletic career as a D1 track athlete as well as her personal and career journey that required much perseverance.  Despite the loss of her brother at a young age, and surviving an act of gun violence while leaving her fitness studio, Sydney is the definition of "serving others" and using her toughest moments in life to leave a legacy on the world.  Each day she provides daily workout videos for free on YouTube to over 1 million subscribers and her platform is continuing to grow. Her passion for life, health, and connecting with others around the world is the reason she made a perfect first guest for Season 2 of The Unspoken Arena. Enjoy, and make sure to connect and workout with Sydney at the links below!  Connect with Sydney! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVQJZE_on7It_pEv6tn-jdAWebsite: https://www.royalchange.fit/Instagram: @sydneycummings Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast

Welcome Back Listeners, Season 2 is here!Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com

Former student athlete turned paralegal. Taylor Henry went through it all during her 4 years as a NCAA D2 college volleyball player. Connect with Taylor:Instagram: taylorhenry10Connect with Us:Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcas

What happens when life gets a little bit stressful? Or hard to manage? How do you cope, handle, and manage stress in your day to day life? This episode, we talk about how we cope and manage stress when things get heavy and overwhelming. Our remedies may not work for everyone, however talking about stress is something that is a stress reliever in itself. We hope you find some tools, ideas, or even just peace of mind in this conversation, and peace amongst whatever chaos you are enduring. 

Introducing April Houston. A former Division 1 athlete talks all things social justice and how this topic has directly impacted her throughout her time as a student athlete. Connect with April & Advance Social Justice:- Website: blacklivesmatter.com https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-owned-business-guide-n1258948- Instagram: @april_houston3Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcas

Hello beautiful humans!! Welcome to the Season 1 Finale of The Unspoken Arena podcast! This episode we will take you through our biggest takeaways from episodes 2-19, and what we loved most about each. So if you haven't been able to catch them all, or if this is your first time joining us, this episode will give you a good idea on what we have been diving into this season! We have had SO MANY incredible guests come on and share their stories, and passions, and their own version of unspoken topics in their journey through sport. We hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for listening! Coming soon: SEASON 2!! Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com

Hello beautiful humans! This episode we were honored to speak with former collegiate athlete, Cara Park, and learn about her journey from high school to college; specifically her unique experience of having to medically disqualify from the game of volleyball her freshman year of college. Cara opened up to us and shared her moments of struggle, how she was able to overcome the toughest times, her remedies and most helpful resources, and positive takeaways from her experience. She also provides some very valuable advice to coaches, and players who may be experiencing similar situations to hers both physically and mentally. This episode was an emotional one, as Cara is very passionate when it comes to athletes being treated as people, above all else. There is no doubt she will touch the hearts of anyone who is listening. So with that being said, it is my pleasure to introduce Cara Park.Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com  Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast. 

Meg Zasada is a former Division 1 volleyball player,  turned business woman and coach, who has been able to use her challenging experience as a collegiate athlete to help her find identity and growth within herself.  In this episode, we dive deep into her athletic career and how the reality of playing Division 1 volleyball did not at all meet her expectations.  While she felt physically prepared for the experience, she quickly realized she was not mentally or emotional prepared for all that came with being an athlete at that level. Meg was extremely vulnerable and honest in our conversation with how she did or did not handle the adversity well and also how that is impacted the incredible strong woman and coach she is today.  Athletes & coaches can learn a lot from here story and how we can all be better equipped to handle the highs of lows of college athletics. Welcome to our episode of Expectation vs. Reality featuring Meg Zasada.Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.com  Disclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast. 

Part 2 of our "Life After Sport" series where we dive into some remedies that helped us handle the many realities that hit us after we hung up the jersey and had to leave the college game. Often times as college athletes, we take the game and the opportunities and the memories for granted. We take the way our life is, and what comes with being an athlete, for granted. And while there are many highs, and also many lows, there are quite a few things that we don’t realize will transpire, once we hang up the jersey and step into the real world. So, based on the experiences that both of us have had, we are here to share with you how we managed those realities from our athletes and now what we have seen as collegiate coaches. The best is yet to come after sport and we are honored to help you through that transition. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!Connect with Us!Instagram: @theunspokenarenaTwitter: @unspokenarenaFacebook: The Unspoken ArenaEmail: theunspokenarena@gmail.comDisclaimer: All information provide by "The Unspoken Arena" , Sondra Parys and Kassie Kadera is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use any information received as medical or health advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity , including but not limited to establishing “standard of care."  While we are making every effort to broadcast correct information, no guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of statements made on the podcast.