#114 – Rehab for the Mind: Daily Progress, Speaking Up, and Overcoming Mental Health Struggles with Matt Johns
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Episode Summary:
In this deeply moving episode, elite basketballer Matt Johns shares the mental health journey behind his rise through the US college system, the Brisbane Bullets, and international 3x3 basketball. Matt opens up about living with anxiety and depression, how nearly taking his own life led to a turning point, and the powerful role his family—especially his mum—played in saving him. He talks about how shifting his focus to daily progress, building strong routines, and learning to ask for help transformed his performance on and off the court. A must-listen for anyone navigating pressure, self-doubt, or the highs and lows of chasing big dreams.
About the Guest:
Matthew Johns is an Australian professional basketball player who most recently played as a development player for the Brisbane Bullets in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 2023–24 season. Standing at 203 cm (6'8") and weighing 103 kg, Johns is known for his athleticism, defensive focus, and versatility on the court.
Born on May 26, 1999, in Geelong, Victoria, Johns began his basketball journey with the Geelong Supercats. He further developed his skills in the United States, playing college basketball for the University of South Dakota and later for Concordia University St. Paul. After completing his college career, he returned to Australia to play in the NBL1 South with the Geelong Supercats in 2022. Brisbane Bullets+3jackjumpers.com.au+3NBL Australia+3
Johns joined the Brisbane Bullets as a development player for the 2022–23 NBL season and re-signed for the 2023–24 season under head coach Justin Schueller. During the 2023–24 season, he appeared in 13 games, averaging 5.1 minutes per game, with 0.8 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. His contributions were primarily focused on providing depth to the frontcourt and bringing energy off the bench.
Internationally, Johns has represented Australia at the U17 World Championships and trained at the Centre of Excellence, highlighting his experience and commitment to the sport.
About the Host:
Ian Hawkins, host of "Sport Is Life," is dedicated to showing how sports can transform lives. With extensive experience as an athlete, a coach, PE teacher, community volunteer, and manager at Fox Sports, Ian brings a wealth of knowledge to the podcast. His journey began in his backyard, mentored by his older brother, and has since evolved into coaching elite athletes and business leaders. Ian's commitment to sports and personal development is evident in his roles as a performance coach and active community member. Through "Sport Is Life," Ian shares inspiring stories and valuable lessons to help listeners apply sports principles to all areas of life.
If you’re working too hard too quieten the headnoise, check out my Performance Meditation training here - https://www.ianhawkinscoaching.com/performancemeditation
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Transcript
Today's guest Matthew Jones is a very
Speaker:impressive young man. He's an elite
Speaker:basketballer. He's played in the US
Speaker:College System Development squad
Speaker:for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL,
Speaker:still making his way in the world of
Speaker:basketball, but he's a man well beyond
Speaker:his years. We talked today about
Speaker:how you can build your mental strength,
Speaker:the importance of working on your
Speaker:mental health as much, if not more
Speaker:than your phys. Told a
Speaker:great story about how his mum saved his
Speaker:life that gave me absolute goosebumps
Speaker:which I'm sure you will enjoy as well.
Speaker:I'm Ian Hawkins and this is Sporty's
Speaker:life. The purpose of sport, as I
Speaker:see it, is to see your vision become a
Speaker:reality, find your voice, create
Speaker:strong connections and learn to trust
Speaker:your body.
Speaker:Like I said at the start, what an
Speaker:impressive young man. Just a quick
Speaker:apology on the audio. We had some
Speaker:challenges so that we tried to get it as
Speaker:even as possible after the recording, but
Speaker:there might be some different levels, so
Speaker:apologies for that. Well done for
Speaker:persisting and getting to the end. The
Speaker:the lessons that Matt shared around the
Speaker:importance of working on your mental
Speaker:health. So, so very good. The bit I
Speaker:loved and and for you to add to your.
Speaker:Game plan is to have that big
Speaker:picture view of where you're heading in
Speaker:whatever area it is and then making sure
Speaker:that you don't get stuck focusing there
Speaker:because that will get you into that
Speaker:outcome focus, which brings on the
Speaker:anxiety and the issues with performance.
Speaker:But instead come back to that clear
Speaker:process. What's the next thing? Be
Speaker:present in that and that's where you'll
Speaker:get the best results. If you're looking
Speaker:for some help on one of the things that
Speaker:we talked about, which was identify the
Speaker:triggers of when maybe you're drifting
Speaker:into a hole where that's physically.
Speaker:Mentally, emotionally, then let me
Speaker:know. Or jump
Speaker:into the Sporty's
Speaker:Life VIP Club and you'll
Speaker:find the Well Being
Speaker:Action Plan which will be give you all
Speaker:this structure to be able to map that out
Speaker:for yourself. Get yourself back on track,
Speaker:have a look at the show notes and you'll
Speaker:find all the information there.
Speaker:You've taken the time to listen to this
Speaker:whole episode. Now it's time to take
Speaker:action. Commit to one thing you've
Speaker:learned today and make it happen. And to
Speaker:avoid any obstructions, join the Sporty's
Speaker:Life movement by clicking on the link in
Speaker:the show notes.
