The "Love Your Inner Athlete" podcast, hosted by Hans Skulstad, is all about mental fitness. Hans interviews professional athletes, coaches, and all around fitness-minded individuals to hear their perspectives on the mental side of sports and athletics. They share their experiences, stories, and how Hans and the Center for Sports and the Mind has changed their mental trajectories, making them fitter, healthier, happier versions of themselves. Follow along to hear inspiring stories from ordinary people who have taken the steps to become mentally fit!
Jeff Hall: Instant Forgiveness and the Team-First Goalie
Instant Forgiveness: Jeff Hall on Goaltending, Team-First Thinking, and Keeping Youth Sports in Perspective
Content note: this episode includes a frank discussion of youth mental health, including a student-athlete’s death by suicide, about two-thirds of the way through. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 — call or text 988.
In 1997, Jeff Hall backstopped the Edina Hornets to a Minnesota state championship, surviving a 5-4 triple-overtime semifinal against Hill-Murray before shutting out undefeated Duluth East 1-0 in the final. For nearly 25 years since, he has helped goalies of every age find their game as Coaching Director at Stauber’s Goalcrease in Edina.
In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with his longtime friend to talk about what that title run taught him about confidence and putting the team first, why he trained himself to stop looking at the shot counter, and the one mental skill he teaches every goalie: forgive yourself and your teammates instantly, then get back to the moment. Jeff also shares what head coaches often miss about their goalies (and how a simple greeting and using a kid’s name can change the relationship), how screens and social media are affecting young athletes’ focus, and his advice to hockey parents: be a parent, not an agent. Whether you’re a goalie, a coach, or a sports parent, this conversation is a grounded reminder of what matters most in the game.
Connect with Jeff:Stauber’s Goalcrease: goalcrease.com (http://goalcrease.com)
Love Your Inner Athlete explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, mental fitness, and what sport teaches us about life — and remember to love your inner athlete.
Beyond Mental Toughness: Avery Nelson on Psychological Flexibility, Shame, and the Power of Opening Up
Avery Nelson played basketball through high school and baseball at Hamline University, where a run of injuries left him burnt out, doubting himself, and trying to power through it alone. Working with a sport psychologist changed how he saw the game and pointed him toward a career. Two master's degrees later, he is a therapist and mental performance coach at Skadi Sport Psychology, helping athletes with both their mental health and their performance.In this episode of the Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Avery to talk about why rigid, push-through-anything "mental toughness" falls short and what psychological flexibility offers instead. They dig into why shame is one of the worst long-term motivators, how phones make anxiety easy to avoid and harder to beat, the pressure social media and sports gambling put on today's athletes, and how knowing your three to five core values can simplify hard decisions. Avery also shares what he wishes his college self had known: admitting you're struggling is the moment the weight starts to lift. Whether you're an athlete, a coach, or a parent, this conversation offers a practical, human take on building a mental game that lasts.Connect with Avery:Website: skadisportpsychology.com (http://skadisportpsychology.com) (free discovery calls available)The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, mental fitness, and what sport teaches us about life.
30 Sept 2026
Colin Owensby: The Roadmap to Resilience
The Roadmap to Resilience: Colin Owensby on Tragedy, Gratitude, and Building a Life You Control
At 15, Colin Owensby broke his back in a car crash, spent a week in a coma, and heard doctors warn he might never walk again. Three months later, still in a body cast, he watched his older brother collapse and die on a basketball court. What he built out of those years has carried him through college swimming, an international modeling career, five years as Ashton Kutcher's photo double, a 100-mile ultramarathon, and multiple Ironmans.
In this episode of Love Your Inner Athlete Podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Colin to walk through his 10-pillar Roadmap to Resilience, what working alongside Hollywood's best taught him about mastery and work ethic, and the simple Notes app list a mentor gave him that still shapes his days. Whether you're an athlete coming back from injury, someone carrying grief, or just looking for something tangible to make today better, this conversation offers a practical, hopeful blueprint.
Connect with Colin:
Website: thecolinowensby.com
Instagram, TikTok & LinkedIn: @TheColinOwensby
The Inner Athlete Podcast explores mental fitness strategies for athletes at every level. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, mental fitness, and what sport teaches us about life.
Who has been a guest on Love Your Inner Athlete
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Joe Dziedzic
Jacob Jeanette
Pat O’Leary
Reagan Roloefs
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
8,382
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
4.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
46
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
32
Contact Love Your Inner Athlete
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Love Your Inner Athlete
Who hosts Love Your Inner Athlete?
Hans Skulstad host the show. Published by Inner Athlete Podcast.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Love Your Inner Athlete take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of Love Your Inner Athlete?
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