Burned Out And Still Showing Up: Women, Sports, And Mental Health
Thu Feb 05 2026
In honor of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, we’re joined by Alicia Pelton, Program Director for Coaching HER at the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport.
With more than 35 years of experience as a coach, athletic director, and consultant, Alicia brings a powerful perspective on women’s burnout, leadership, mental health, and equity in sport.
Using the film Bad Moms as a lens, we discuss the invisible mental load women carry, identity loss, affirming coaching practices, why women leave sports, and how systems can change to support girls and women more effectively.
We also talk openly about therapy, boundaries, motherhood, and what it looks like to choose yourself without shame.
This episode is for coaches, parents, educators, and leaders who want to create healthier, more equitable environments for women and girls.
👇 Resources and links below
📌 Coaching HER at the Tucker Center
📌 How to bring this work into your school or program
To find our new guest: Alicia Pelton
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciapelton/
https://www.coachingher.com/
https://www.instagram.com/aliciapelton22/?hl=en
Thanks for checking out Different Spectrums! 🎙️ We're a podcast led by licensed therapists and neurodivergent individuals who explore emotions in movies and shows. Our mission is to normalize mental health challenges and promote understanding.
Join your founders and hosts, Dr. Nazeer Zerka and Spencer Srnec, as we process some key scenes to help you better understand your emotions and maybe even find some validation in them.
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Attention
0:59 Intro
8:36 Scenes
13:16 Interview
1:35:09 Bad Mom Talk
We’d love to hear your ideas for future episodes and connect with you on social media. You can find all our links here: https://linktr.ee/different_spectrums
⚠️ Reminder: Our podcast isn’t a substitute for therapy. If you need help, please seek professional assistance or call 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or 911 in case of an emergency.
Don’t forget to use our links for discounts with our partner companies:
ONO Roller
https://onoroller.com?sca_ref=5082016.VIt4Svd8Ng
Bubs Naturals
https://www.bubsnaturals.com/?discount=DSP20
Two Nerds Candle
https://twonerdscandle.com/DSP
Toynk
https://toynk.com/DIFFERENTSPECTRUMSPODCAST
#podcast #therapy #psychology #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalillness #mentalhealthmatters #autismawareness #actuallyautistic #autism #neurodiversity #selfcare #selflove #anxietyawareness #depressionawareness
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In honor of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, we’re joined by Alicia Pelton, Program Director for Coaching HER at the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. With more than 35 years of experience as a coach, athletic director, and consultant, Alicia brings a powerful perspective on women’s burnout, leadership, mental health, and equity in sport. Using the film Bad Moms as a lens, we discuss the invisible mental load women carry, identity loss, affirming coaching practices, why women leave sports, and how systems can change to support girls and women more effectively. We also talk openly about therapy, boundaries, motherhood, and what it looks like to choose yourself without shame. This episode is for coaches, parents, educators, and leaders who want to create healthier, more equitable environments for women and girls. 👇 Resources and links below 📌 Coaching HER at the Tucker Center 📌 How to bring this work into your school or program To find our new guest: Alicia Pelton https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciapelton/ https://www.coachingher.com/ https://www.instagram.com/aliciapelton22/?hl=en Thanks for checking out Different Spectrums! 🎙️ We're a podcast led by licensed therapists and neurodivergent individuals who explore emotions in movies and shows. Our mission is to normalize mental health challenges and promote understanding. Join your founders and hosts, Dr. Nazeer Zerka and Spencer Srnec, as we process some key scenes to help you better understand your emotions and maybe even find some validation in them. Episode Breakdown: 0:00 Attention 0:59 Intro 8:36 Scenes 13:16 Interview 1:35:09 Bad Mom Talk We’d love to hear your ideas for future episodes and connect with you on social media. You can find all our links here: https://linktr.ee/different_spectrums ⚠️ Reminder: Our podcast isn’t a substitute for therapy. If you need help, please seek professional assistance or call 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or 911 in case of an emergency. Don’t forget to use our links for discounts with our partner companies: ONO Roller https://onoroller.com?sca_ref=5082016.VIt4Svd8Ng Bubs Naturals https://www.bubsnaturals.com/?discount=DSP20 Two Nerds Candle https://twonerdscandle.com/DSP Toynk https://toynk.com/DIFFERENTSPECTRUMSPODCAST #podcast #therapy #psychology #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalillness #mentalhealthmatters #autismawareness #actuallyautistic #autism #neurodiversity #selfcare #selflove #anxietyawareness #depressionawareness