MENTAL HEALTH with Dan Friend

Coach Your Brains Out, by Gold Medal Squared

• 0:31 - How the pandemic has affected the mental health of Dan’s players.
  • 1:43 - Ways in which Dan’s been trying to deal with feelings anxiety and pressure.
• 4:00 - Finding professional help to strengthen the mental health of athletes.
• 6:18 - Using the team environment to create bonds + having older players use their experience with playing anxiety to offer advice to younger players.
• 7:19 - How Dan has tried to maintain team bonds throughout the pandemic.
• 8:50 - Building connections even with pandemic restrictions.
• 9:46 - Exercises coaches can use to get players to open up about their mental health.
• 10:56 - Importance of communication with players and listening to athletes.
• 12:20 - Giving back to the community: why Dan and his players do community service.
• 13:36 - What Rae Strong is and how people can get involved.
  • Link: https://raestrong.org/
• 17:40 - An update on how Rae is doing today.
• 18:38 - Why and how Dan ended up coaching Tim Bomgren and Jeremy Casebeer at the AVP Chicago event.
• 20:09 - Why Dan doesn’t take money for coaching on the sand + why he enjoys being a part of the beach community.
• 22:34 - Dan’s players getting involved in the AVP Events.
• 23:24 - How less established players can take down the “giants” of beach volleyball.
• 25:04 - What Dan is doing currently to grow as a coach.