Mental health, personal growth, and performance are more connected than we sometimes realize. Whether you're an athlete, a student, or a professional, the way you take care of yourself affects how you handle challenges, make decisions, and show up in different areas of your life. But taking care of yourself isn't just about pushing through. It's also about knowing when to ask for help, learning from setbacks, and recognizing what you can and cannot control.

In this video compilation, I share insights from conversations with different guests on Time Out with the Sports Doctor. We discuss the importance of mental health education, why early intervention matters, and how the right support system can help people navigate difficult seasons. We also talk about finding motivation, making the most of the opportunities in front of you, and learning to grow through failure instead of being defined by it.

You'll also get a closer look at Athlete Connect, a platform I'm developing to help athletes access resources in mental health, nutrition, recovery, and performance. My goal is to help athletes and the people who support them make better-informed decisions about their health and well-being.

"We can do a better job in the mental health space, kind of educating on the effects of being preventative in our approach rather than just being a treatment or crisis intervention." - Brook Choulet, M.D.

Topics Covered:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:26 – Year-end reflections and goal setting

00:02:49 – Understanding NAMI's mission

00:04:34 – Mental health and mental toughness

00:06:49 – Learning through struggle and failure

00:08:11 – Finding motivation and staying focused

00:09:16 – Self-care, faith, and support systems

00:10:24 – When to seek mental health support

00:11:32 – Mental health and performance

00:12:38 – Focusing on what you can control

00:13:39 – Making the most of career opportunities

00:14:44 – Introducing Athlete Connect

00:15:30 – The four pillars of athlete wellness

00:17:00 – Stay tuned!

Key Takeaways:

"You do not have to wait until a certain date to change your life. You can do that today." - Dr. Derrick Burgess

"It's very important to normalize mental health education or normalize mental health treatment." - Dr. Derrick Burgess

"You have to find what motivates you. That motivation doesn't die, it may actually dim along the path, but it's always there." - Dawn Brown

"It's also important for us to have that self-care, and so we have to make sure that we pour into ourselves too." - Dawn Brown

"You need to kind of commune with others, because you can't do it alone, can't do this life alone." - Dawn Brown

"Nobody knows you better than you. Trust your gut if you know that you're not feeling your best." - Dr. Mina Ratkalkar

Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:

Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.derrickburgess243

Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com

Other Links: https://www.hbcuendzone.org/about

Scrubs to Skylines: https://www.instagram.com/scrubstoskylines/

This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.

College athletes have a lot to manage, from injuries and recovery to schoolwork and the pressure to perform. But getting the care they need is not always easy. Some schools have more medical resources than others, and when athletes transfer, keeping their medical care consistent can become even more challenging.

Taking care of athletes means looking beyond what happens on the field. They need access to reliable medical guidance, support for their mental health, proper nutrition, and time to recover. When athletes have the right information and people to turn to, they can make better decisions about their health and focus on performing at their best.

In this episode of Time Out with the Sports Doctor, Dr. Derrick Burgess introduces Athlete Connect, a platform designed to help address gaps in care for college athletes. He shares what he has seen while working with athletes and explains how the platform will bring together resources for mental health, nutrition, recovery, and performance. He also discusses how better communication and access to guidance can help athletes get the support they need, wherever their athletic careers take them.

"I feel that we can improve our communication across the board, which will allow athletes to make better informed decisions and be able to provide better care for themselves."— Dr. Derrick Burgess

Topics Covered:

00:00:00 – Introduction to Athlete Connect

00:01:12 – The Importance of Athlete Healthcare

00:02:39 – Gaps in College Sports Medicine Coverage

00:04:02 – Introducing Athlete Connect

00:04:31 – Advertisement: Struggling with your finances as a young physician? Doc2Doc Lending is here for you. Founded by doctors, we offer loans tailored to your unique career path—crediting your certifications and specialty training. Visit https://www.doc2doclending.com/ today.

00:06:27 – Improving Communication Across Athlete Care Teams

00:07:14 – The Four Pillars of Athlete Wellness

00:09:01 – Building a Personalized Athlete Care Journey

00:09:55 – Becoming 1% Better Every Day

Key Takeaways:

"The game is the same. You put on pads, it's a collision sport, so injuries occur. Many athletes go untreated or are on their own to try to seek out medical care. Is that the right way to provide care for them? I feel we can do better."

"Many times trying to hide some of these new injuries and just kind of suffering through them because they're trying to create a new name for themselves."

"Not only do they have to perform on the field, they have to perform in the classroom and they have to be able to take care of themselves as a person."

"It's time, there's a need for it and we're here to help fill that gap."

"I always believe in, not just setting New Year resolutions but everyday trying to improve, everyday trying to continue to become 1% better."

Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:

Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.derrickburgess243

Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com

Other Links: https://www.hbcuendzone.org/about

Scrubs to Skylines: https://www.instagram.com/scrubstoskylines/

This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.

The road to where we want to be rarely looks the way we imagined it would. Setbacks, unexpected detours, and moments of uncertainty can make us question our direction, but they can also shape our character and prepare us for opportunities we may not yet see. Sometimes, the obstacles we face become the very experiences that help us grow and guide others forward.

Growth is not only about reaching a goal. It is also about remembering the people who helped us get there and recognizing the responsibility that comes with having opportunities others are still waiting for. When someone opens a door for us, we can use what we have learned to open doors for others.

In this episode of Time Out with the Sports Doctor, Dr. Derrick Burgess reflects on returning to Washington, DC, reconnecting with Howard University, mentoring aspiring orthopaedic surgeons, and advocating for patients and physicians on Capitol Hill. He discusses setbacks, mentorship, healthcare disparities, diversity in orthopaedic surgery, and the growing role of AI in medicine.

"Thank you God for the journey, thank you for keeping me, thank you for helping me overcome all the obstacles to get to where I am now."— Dr. Derrick Burgess

Topics Covered:
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:46 – The journey to Howard University
00:02:59 – The impact of mentorship
00:04:15 – Diversity in orthopaedics
00:06:50 – Advertisement: Struggling with your finances as a young physician? Doc2Doc Lending is here for you. Founded by doctors, we offer loans tailored to your unique career path—crediting your certifications and specialty training. Visit https://www.doc2doclending.com/ today.
00:08:39 – Building faith through obstacles
00:09:35 – Advocacy on Capitol Hill
00:10:51 – Healthcare policy and patient care
00:13:13 – What advocacy means
00:14:08 – Closing remarks

Key Takeaways:

"God knew what we needed in our lives to help shape our careers and place us under the mentorship of those two giants in orthopaedics."

"I go home a better person, being able to see the other side of what the lawmakers are encountering and the things, the obstacles that they face as well."

"Advocacy, sometimes you're supporting, pleading for or speaking on behalf of others who do not have the ability to make that presentation for themselves."

"Hopefully it'll be able to help somebody else, motivate someone else to continue to push forward in whatever your dream or capacity, in whatever endeavour you're trying to achieve."

Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:

Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.derrickburgess243

Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com

Other Links: https://www.hbcuendzone.org/about

Scrubs to Skylines: https://www.instagram.com/scrubstoskylines/

This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.