31: The Systems of Sport: How Parents, Sports Leagues, & Coaches Can Support the Mental Health of Young Athletes with Katie Steele

In this episode, we interview marriage and family therapist, author, and former athlete Katie Steele, who co-wrote The Price She Pays. Steele describes what fueled her passion as a runner and how she works with parents and coaches to best support athletes through a systems approach. We discuss the current systems that can impacts young athletes' decision-making, sense of self and passion for sport, like early specialization, year-round leagues, and external pressures from technology and NIL deals. In summary, we talk about setting young athletes up for the "long game," which isn't always becoming a college or professional athlete, but instead involves staying healthy, knowing oneself, maintaining maneuverability, and forging lifelong connections through sport.

Katie Steele LMFT competed for University of Oregon and Florida State as a collegiate runner, and now incorporates her experiences with mental health struggles, unethical coaching practices, and the pressures of collegiate athletics into her work as a therapist. She co-authored the book, "The Price She Pays: Confronting the Hidden Mental Health Crises in Women's Sports, from the Schoolyard to the Stadium" which was published in summer 2024.