In sports, there’s a fine line between growth and exhaustion, strength and breakdown, health and pathology—and this couldn’t be more true for athletes competing during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Yet sports also provide a unique playground for the development of mental tools, identity, and tolerance for discomfort. In this conversation with Beth Launiere, storied head coach of the University of Utah Women’s Volleyball team, we discuss the mental and emotional facets of competition and the responsibility of the systems and leaders that support elite athletes. We also discuss the challenges of a season during COVID and social unrest and how tumultuous times can give way to a fresh start.

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