91. Showing Up as Yourself with Professor of Sport Psychology Lindsey Blom

91. Showing Up as Yourself with Professor of Sport Psychology Lindsey Blom

Introducing Lindsay Blom

Today I’m talking to Sport Psychology Professor and President of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology (AASP) Dr. Lindsey Blom about showing up as yourself.

Her Career Journey

Lindsey earned her BS in psychology from Georgia Southern University where she also played soccer. Hungry for more in both soccer and academics, she continued playing professionally while earning her MS in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports psychology. She then went on to get a second master’s in counseling and then her EdD in sport and exercise psychology both from West Virginia University.

Showing Up as Yourself

While Lindsey always loved helping others define their strengths and perform under pressure, that didn’t mean she was immune to imposter syndrome and feeling that she needed to be someone else in the workplace. When she became president of AASP, she realized she was chosen to be herself in the role, not an approximation of someone else.

Inside this episode:

  • Lindsey first found the field of sports psychology in college, and, as an athlete and psych major, was immediately hooked on this branch of positive, performance psychology.
  • She played professional soccer in the summers while getting her first master’s degree.
  • We discuss the many ways society takes advantage of ambitious young trainees, from academia to professional sports to medicine.
  • Lindsey’s dream of becoming a professor and researcher started early and was fueled by her love of helping others recognize their strengths.
  • Her work in international sports diplomacy with Dream Sports Africa and L.A.C.E.S. brings together many of her interests including youth sports, the power of sport for social change, and peace psychology. 
  • When Lindsey became the president of AASP, she learned she wasn’t there to fill the previous president’s shoes but to be herself and bring her passions to the role. 
  • Prioritizing self-care for oneself means accepting that others need to prioritize their self-care as well. In the end, everyone benefits.
  • At different points in her career, Lindsey struggled with thinking that she was not good enough and compared herself to others. Over time, she’s learned to show up as herself and appreciates the acceptance that her non-traditional sports psychology research has found among her peers.

Resources

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