Host Tom Smalley is joined by John Armistead, former dual sport collegiate athlete turned Co-Founder of the Athletes Together app. John discusses the development of the Athletes Together app, an all-in-one mental health app for student athletes. John also shares his personal journey of starting the app with a co-founder and the process of transitioning from playing lacrosse to football at USC. The conversation delves into the stigma of toxic masculinity in sports and the need for athletes to seek help and show vulnerability. John shares his positive experience at USC, where mental health was addressed and resources were made available to the team.

03:01 The Need for Mental Health Resources in College Athletics

04:04 Challenges of Accessing Mental Health Resources

05:24 Building the Athletes Together App

12:00 Taking Risks and Overcoming Challenges

17:15 Providing Resources and Solutions for Mental Health

18:07 The Growing Mental Health Crisis

21:36 Playing Lacrosse at the University of Richmond

25:23 Transitioning to Play Football at USC

27:48 The Transfer Process and Persistence

28:04 Seeking Opportunities and Convincing Coaches

31:23 Mental Health Challenges and Imposter Syndrome

36:58 Taking a Preventive Approach to Mental Health

40:32 Toxic Masculinity and Seeking Help in Sports

44:02 Awareness of Mental Health at USC

47:34 Coach's Support and Caring for Players' Well-being

Instagram: @johnarmistead

John is a former two sport division 1 athlete, where he played lacrosse at University of Richmond and football at USC. He’s now using his athletic experiences and battles with mental health to fuel his startup company, AthletesTogether. The mobile app is designed for student-athletes to find mental wellness through a variety of features to directly address the needs of student-athletes

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/smallstalk/messageSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/smallstalk/support