Episode starters

In our sixteenth episode, Lavanya, the founder and executive director of In My Head: The Internal Battle, sits down with Ava Doan. Ava is a current senior who has been playing competitive tennis for most of her life. Ava also does competitive robotics as well. In today’s episode, Ava shares her tennis journey, how she deals with anxiety and stress, what it takes to stay calm amidst setbacks, and how she strives for a balance between academics and athletics. Listen to find out more!

In our fifteenth episode, Lavanya, the founder and executive director of In My Head: The Internal Battle, sits down with Kaylani Marie Lim. Kaylani is a senior at Silver Creek High School who is on her way to play D1 softball at San Jose State University. Kaylani shares her softball journey, coping mechanisms for anxiety and stress, how she strives to balance academics and athletics, and a glimpse into her life as a student-athlete.

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In our fourteenth episode, Lavanya, the founder and executive director of In My Head: The Internal Battle, reflects on her insightful conversations with each guest on the podcast. From Coach Thomas Lee's lessons on junior tennis to Dr. Robert Burn's take on debate, each episode explores the intersection of mental wellness and sports/competition. Join Lavanya as she shares personal learnings, embracing vulnerability, and the transformative power of the "In My Head" community.

In our thirteenth episode, Lavanya, the founder and executive director of In My Head: The Internal Battle, sits down with Gayathri Krishnan, a freshman at Columbia University. Gayathri shares her journey with tennis. Gayathri speaks on the mental strategies she utilizes to stay focused, the ways she balances her academic, tennis, and social life, and how tennis has shaped her perspective on life.

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Dr. Burn is part of an organization called SVUDL which stands for Silicon Valley Urban Debate League. In our episode today, instead of talking about a sport, Lavanya talks with Dr. Burns about a competitive environment similar to what a sport brings. Debate! Dr Burns speaks on tactics he teaches his debaters on how to keep calm, do’s and don'ts for a competitive environment, and what it means to be a good sport.

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In this episode, Lavanya talks with Evan Hoyt, a retired tennis pro and now coach at eagle fustar tennis academy. Evan turned pro at 18 and went on the pro circuit full time, achieving an ATP ranking of 319 in singles and 217 in doubles. He competed at Wimbledon in 2019 in the Men’s singles qualifying, main draw doubles, and reached the quarter finals in mixed-doubles that same year. In this episode, Evan shares his journey from junior to pro to coach, insights he tells his junior athletes from his experience, and the significance of mindset and mental resilience in the context of sports. 

Lani is a former Division 1 tennis student-athlete for UC Davis. Lani works at USTA Northern California and works in player development. In this episode, Lani talks about her journey as a junior, from playing tournaments in Hawaii to playing D1 tennis and at UC Davis. She also shares her hands-on work with junior tennis athletes today and how she works hand in hand with aspiring athletes.

In this episode, Lavanya interviews Emma. Emma is currently pursuing her PsyD and will be entering her last year this fall. Emma played for Saint Mary's College. Emma takes us through her life as a junior, how she became mentally resilient, and what she notices about mental health in our world today. Listen to find out more

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In this episode, Mrs. Powell, a track coach and mental health social worker, discusses the role of mental wellness is not only in team sports but in sports in general, what some efficient techniques athletes use to help attain a positive mental state, and why it is so important to shatter the stigma around mental health and mental wellness in sports.

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In this episode Brianna a student-athlete at UCLA discusses her journey with artistic swimming, how she began, and what impact the sport has had on her life. Brianna also shares how she navigated her mental health with sports, and the advice she would give to teen athletes today.

In this episode, Timothy shares his journey growing up, his college tennis experiences, and what helped him with his mental fitness. 

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In this episode, Denise Eachus, High School Spanish teacher and a Field Hockey coach, shares exercises she conducts with her team to create a healthy team dynamic and the impact mental fitness has on a team sport.

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In this episode, former college and pro tennis player John Lamble discusses his tennis journey, from junior tennis to pro, and what he did to maintain the best mental fitness level. Listen to find out more

In this episode, Adam Saucedo, mental fitness coach and expert, shares what it means to have a good mental state and tips for athletes to better support their mental game.

In this episode, Thomas Le, the founder of Norcal Tennis Academy, shares his take on mental fitness in juniors and what it means to be an athlete' parent.  

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Our founder, Lavanya, shares her tennis journey and her experiences which led her to the creation of this podcast.