For most of Diane Hurst’s life, basketball was more than a sport. It gave her community, helped her belong every time her family moved, and eventually became tied to how she understood herself.
But when basketball stopped going the way she expected, that identity began to fall apart.
In this episode, Diane talks about the pressure she put on herself as a young athlete, walking away from her first college midway through the season, learning to separate a coach’s opinion from her worth, counseling, faith, moving to Kosovo, and unexpectedly finding her way back to basketball again.
A conversation about achievement, failure, belonging, mental health, and learning to love something without needing it to tell you who you are.
Chapters: (00:00) Intro (00:49) How are you? (01:08) ATG Warm-up (02:38) What is mental health to you? (06:27) Who am I without my achievements? (08:39) The pressure to prove yourself (11:18) Basketball as belonging (15:08) When basketball was taken away (17:47) Choosing not to go D1 (25:10) Changing her relationship with failure (27:36) Her first college experience (33:20) When basketball stopped being worth it (35:50) Going home and dealing with shame (39:19) Counseling and professional help (40:13) Wanting to play basketball again (42:35) Learning to trust another coach (44:36) Winning a championship (49:33) Choosing to end her college career (53:23) Why Kosovo? (57:07) The reality of moving to Kosovo (1:00:12) “It’s okay not to be okay” (1:03:31) Feelings are real, but not always reliable (1:05:32) Basketball comes back again (1:09:57) Diane’s question for the audience
Production: LinkAcross Video Production Camera & audio: Sashko Petrovski Montage: Sashko PetrovskiEditor: Sandra Mitrevska Host: Gjorgi Georgiev
The content presented on this podcast is for informational purposes only. Please consult an appropriate professional for any health issues, diagnosis or therapy. The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are the personal views and opinions of the host and the guests.