Drew Johnson

Medal or no medal, the post-Olympic feelings are a real challenge for all athletes. While the world quickly moves on, The Weight of Gold documentary is a timely reminder to all Olympic athletes that they are not alone, support is available. youtube.com/watch?v=LzGdIh…

@stevemagness A very thoughtful perspective that resonates across the Olympic movement, all professional sports, and is critically important for collegiate and youth sports athletes & families to understand w/ all the change that is occurring in today's sports ecosystem.

Alysa Liu just won Olympic gold. She retired at 16. Was traumatized by the sport. Wouldn't go near an ice rink. And just delivered a career-best on the biggest stage on earth. It's the most compelling comeback story in sports right now. At 13, Liu was the youngest US national champion ever. At 16, she finished 6th at the Olympics. She was a prodigy being told what to eat, what to wear, what music to skate to, and when to train. She lived in a dorm alone at the Olympic Training Center. And she was miserable. "The rink was my home for far too long... And I didn't have a choice," So she quit. She'd lost something essential: the feeling that any of it was hers. She had no autonomy. So she went the other direction. She went to Nepal. Trekked to Everest Base Camp. Got her driver's license. Dyed her hair. Attended college. She lived life. As Liu put it: “Quitting was definitely, and still to this day, one of my best decisions ever.” She built an identity that wasn't tied solely to the ice. She figured out who she was as a human being. Then in early 2024, she went skiing and felt something she hadn't felt in two years: an adrenaline rush. If skiing feels like this, what would skating feel like? She went to a public session. Landed a double axel and triple salchow on the spot. Two weeks later, she was back, but this time on her own terms. She came back because she wanted to. "I choose to be here. I loved that I was able to come back and choose my own destiny." That shift from external obligation to internal choice is the point. A mountain of research tells us autonomy is one of the most powerful driver of sustained motivation. Self-Determination Theory is one of the most established theories in psychology. When people feel ownership over their pursuits, performance goes up, burnout goes down, and creativity skyrockets. Her coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo, nailed it: "For many years she was dropped off at the rink. She was told what to do. Now she comes in, and it is all collaborative." She picks her own music. Designs her own costumes. Controls her training load. "No one's gonna starve me or tell me what I can and can't eat." We often get performance wrong. We think the path to greatness is more control, more structure, more sacrifice. We push young phenoms to "grind", to be disciplined... Not realizing we're often extinguishing the flame that makes them great. It's what psychologist Ellen Winner found when studying prodigies. They have the "rage to master," but over controlling environments suck the passion and joy out of them, snugging out that rage. Those who make it to adult staff have support, but their drive is more intrinsic than extrinsic. Liu's career-best came AFTER she walked away, lived her life, and came back with agency. Tonight she skated to Donna Summer's MacArthur Park with platinum blonde streaks, a lip piercing, and the biggest smile in the building. Career-best 226.79. First American woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating in 24 years. It was pure joy. Her message to the camera: "That's what I'm f---ing talking about." Everyone wants to know the secret to elite performance. It's not complicated. Give people ownership. Let them bring themselves to the performance, instead of squashing the joy and authenticity out of them. Alysa Liu retired at 16 because skating wasn't hers anymore. She won Olympic gold at 20 because it finally was. Be yourself. Go all the way.

#AthleteRights advocate & @OctagonOAS MD Peter Carlisle @pwm8side shares his perspective on the recent ruling from the Swiss Federal Supreme Court re: Jordan Chiles’ appeal via ASU Sports & Entertainment Law Journal. #SportsLaw asuselj.org/after-judicial…

In moguls, Liz Lemley and Jaelin Kauf record the first U.S. one-two in a women's freestyle skiing event in Olympic history. Lemley, at 20 the youngest American to win Olympic freestyle skiing gold, missed 2024-25 season with ACL injury. Kauf wins silver just as she did in 2022.

Paula Moltzan was dropped from the U.S. Ski team a decade ago, skied for the University of Vermont for three years, spent summers as a Crab Apple Whitewater rafting guide and then became one of the world's best Alpine skiers. nbcsports.com/olympics/news/…

No slowing Stolz ⚡ Jordan Stolz earns his ticket back to the #WinterOlympics in front of a home crowd. #SpeedskatingTrials | #MTUSA

Coming for Cortina 👀 Paula Moltzan has punched her ticket to the #WinterOlympics! #MTUSA

.@annaahalll, 2025 World Champion & second-highest scoring heptathlete of all-time, shares her inspirational journey & power of #journaling via @PlayersTribune “Defining Me” series. theplayerstribune.com/defining-me-an…

A worthwhile read for all families involved in #youthsports. Thank you for sharing your experience & perspective Brad Church, your insights apply to all youth sports. #RestoreBalance reformedsportsproject.org/2025/09/09/two…

Tuesday Perspective: #Mindfulness matters in #sport, but in #tennis it's indispensable. Tennis is a contemplative practice, a form of moving meditation that teaches us, again & again, to return to the present & to be free, if only briefly, from ourselves. reformedsportsproject.org/2025/08/29/ten…

Tuesday Perspective: Early sports specialization is not going away. The pressures that drive it are too deeply ingrained to expect reversal. But can we reframe the POV to cultivate a more balanced & sustainable approach to specialization? #RestoreBalance reformedsportsproject.org/2025/07/17/bey…

Proud to have Peter Carlisle (@pwm8side), @JaneyMiller, and Alex Saratsis named to @THR's inaugural “Top Sports Agents & Managers in Hollywood” list. 🙌📈👏 📝: hollywoodreporter.com/lists/top-spor…

Thrilled to announce the signings of US Women’s Squash stars, @ssssobhy, @Olivia_Weaver1, @marina8squash, and @itssobhytime. 🇺🇸 In addition to collaborating with @USSQUASH to help elevate the sport ahead of its Olympic debut in 2028. 🔗 Read more: sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/…

As the fall school sports season begins, growing interest (& investment) in school sports - from multi-million $$ stadiums to national tv broadcasts - is real. Yet, it also begs the question: What Is the Real Purpose of High School Sports? #RestoreBalance reformedsportsproject.org/2025/07/23/wha…

.@OctagonOAS signs US Women's Squash stars Olivia Weaver, Amanda Sobhy, Sabrina Sobhy, & Marina Stefanoni. In addition, the agency will collaborate w/ @USSQUASH to help elevate the sport ahead of its Olympic debut in 2028 via @Irving_Mejia_ @SBJ sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/…

.@annaahalll wins four consecutive US titles in heptathlon. CONGRATS, Anna! 🔥💪 PC Anderson Bobo apnews.com/article/anna-h…

🗣️ “I feel like we got a lot done. I’m coming out of it with a lot of confidence, really healthy, and a lot of room to grow. It definitely feels special!” Anna’s spark is BACK! ✨ After racking up 6,899 points to win the U.S. Championships heptathlon title, Anna Hall is leaving Eugene with confidence and even more room to grow! 🎥 FULL INTERVIEW: youtu.be/1Ay8HXfc4k8?si…

FOURTH IN A ROW 🔥 Anna Hall wins her fourth straight #USATFOutdoors heptathlon title with a total of 6,899 points, the third best performance of her career as she takes the victory by nearly 400 points over runner-up Taliyah Brooks. She won five of seven events outright: high jump, shot put, the 200m, javelin, and the 800m. Her marks: 100H - 13.12 HJ - 1.90m SP - 15.02m 200m - 23.56 LJ - 6.32m JT - 47.32m 800m - 2:04.60

Peter Carlisle (@pwm8side), #athleterights advocate & MD of @OctagonOAS, joins @richroll in a fascinating conversation surrounding #mentalhealth in the #Olympics, #youthsports specialization, & the hidden costs of greatness. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the…

#AthleteRights advocate @pwm8side takes a closer look @ the Jordan Chiles arbitration case & shares what it reveals about challenges athletes face in seeking fair & transparent resolution of disputes @ #Olympics via ASU Sports & Entertainment Law Journal drive.google.com/file/d/1SUBQyY…