Sports psychiatry with Dr. Rolando Gonzalez

01/17/21 • 30 min

“As parents, you guys are probably the best monitors of your children’s behavior because you’ve been watching them from the time they were born, and honestly, you’re a better expert on your child than I am so I tend to trust parents on that.” - Dr. Rolando Gonzalez

Dr. Rolando Gonzalez is a sports psychiatrist who provides mental health care for children through young adulthood with the Lee Physician Group and Golisano Children's Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida. He previously worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Miami, where he completed his fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. He provides mental health care and treatment for elite and competitive athletes through all competitive levels, including athletes with disabilities. He provides initial consultation with a focus on specialized care that compasses diagnostic clarification, medication management, and individual therapy. He serves on both the Youth and Outreach Committees of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry.

In this episode, Rolando and I talk about the difference between sports psychology and sports psychiatry and some of the common disorders he sees among the athletes he works with. We also discuss what parents need to know about traumatic brain injuries and his position on performance enhancing drugs. Join us as he also explains why it’s important for parents to help their child cope with the changes and maintain structure and a routine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Previous Episode

On Coaching Parents with Anthony Telford

“We’ve asked the kids - do you like it better here now that your parents are outside? And, unfortunately, a lot of them say ‘yes.’” -- Anthony Telford

Anthony Telford spent 9 seasons as a MLB pitcher, but now he’s a father and a coach who works closely with both up-and-coming athletes and their parents.

So how does Anthony perceive the parent-athlete relationship?

What are the pandemic restrictions teaching him about his athlete’s relationships with their parents?

Why does he have a Parent Penalty Box at his training facility?

In this episode, Anthony details his journey to and through the MLB as well as his current role as a coach of both young athletes and their parents. This discussion is challenging, convicting, and well worth a listen, so take some notes and be sure to share your perspective with me on Instagram at @sportpsychworks or leave comments at https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

About Former MLB Pitcher Anthony Telford

Anthony Telford, a retired MLB pitcher who played for the Baltimore Orioles, the Montreal Expos, and the Texas Rangers over the course of his career in professional baseball. In college he played for San José State University. Today, Anthony has a renown training facility - The Zone - in Tampa Bay, Florida - where he coaches players of all ages and levels.

Next Episode

The Sports Parenting Experience with Shari Medini

“They need someone outside of their sport to talk to about it. I never want my kids to feel like if they had a bad practice that I’m also going to be mad that they had a bad practice. How can we be that support? We should be their biggest advocate, but that does not mean that we’re marching onto the fields demanding more playing time or more personal attention. That’s a different kind of thing. We need to be making sure that holistically they’re doing ok as a human being. That’s the most important job that we have.” - Shari Medini

Shari Medini is the co-author of Parenting While Working from Home: A Monthly Guide to Help Parents Balance Their Careers, Connect with Their Kids, and Establish Their Inner Strength and the co-owner of AdoreThemParenting.com. Her parenting articles have been published in dozens of print and online publications. Shari’s past experience includes working with children and families in the mental health field, mentoring and speaking as a mindset coach and working as a freelance writer and marketing strategist for companies across the country.

In this episode, Shari and I talk about raising young athletes. Shari is a former collegiate gymnast and is a mind coach. She discusses the role her parents and her experiences as an athlete play into how she’s raising her young athletes. She also shares about her book and what kind of feedback she has received from readers. Listen to her advice for parents of young athletes and what they need to do in July to prepare for youth sports season in the upcoming year.

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