Mental Fitness in Sports | Jason Podollan & Rob Pallante

Jason Podollan is a NHL Alumnus and the founder of Up My Hockey. Rob Pallante is a former NCAA Div 1 hockey player and the founder of Mindset Body Bank!

In this episode, we talk about Jason's story as an NHL player and how he has now harnessed his experiences to teach the modalities of mindset, nutrition, fitness, and high performance. Up My Hockey shows clients how to empower and rebrand themselves to directly impact those they care about most. 

We also discuss Rob's journey as a hockey player, his near-death motorcycle experience, and his professional business career, and how they all motivated him to become a mindset coach for high performance, conscious-minded athletes and individuals who are looking to develop an invincible mindset.

Table of Contents

00:00 - Intro

01:00 - Rob’s origins as a Toronto hockey player and his draft pick experience 

03:00 - Rob’s motorcycle accident and how that drove him to found Mindset Body Bank

05:30 - Jason’s story of being in the NHL and the mental toll

08:50 - Why Jason began the journey as a mentor

10:00 - Current early specialization in youth and Rob and Jason’s multisport experience

13:30 - The importance of free play in child development and the resurgence of it during COVID

15:20 - How Jason helps kids find and reconnect with what they love about the game

18:00 - Fear of failure in kids and parental pressure

21:00 - Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset, tips for success and growth in sports

27:30 - Naomi Osaka’s decision to pull out of the French open

30:00 - Definition of mental health and the line into clinical help

34:30 - Mental agility for athletes via the Up My Hockey Peak Potential Hockey Project with Jason Podollan

38:00 - Controlling your physical and mental state, offered through Mindset Body Bank, and how to contact Rob

41:00 - How parents and coaches can best support athletes

46:08 - How the off-season/COVID is the perfect time to implement new mental techniques and perspectives before heading back into the game

49:15 - Mental Fitness summit announcement

51:00 - Outro

The interview featured on this episode of the Love What You Play podcast originally aired live on For the Love of the Game's Facebook page and YouTube channel.