From the Field to Fulfillment: A Playbook for Improving Mental Health in Sports

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About the Episode

Former MLB star and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist emphasizes the importance of building strong emotional intelligence and mental health for young athletes and those supporting them.

Championing mental health. Building a team-first mindset. Finding fulfillment.

After leading the Chicago Cubs to their first championship since 1908, MLB player Ben Zobrist became the 2016 World Series MVP. Despite achieving what would be the height of professional success for many, Ben didn’t feel he was “enough.”

“I knew how to play Major League baseball. I knew how to tinker in the cage,” he shares. “But I didn't know how to deal with all the stuff that was coming from the outside that I wasn't aware was going to be coming at me from winning. And when that happened, it took me into a dark place.”

This episode covers…

• Ben’s journey from the field to finding faith and a life of fulfillment.
• The importance of emotional intelligence for athletes, coaches and parents.
• How to lead with a team-first mindset over individual glory.

The Feelings, the Failure, and the Fame

Reflecting on his own journey through sports, Ben believes no matter how hard he trained his body, he was ill-prepared to deal with “the feelings, the failure and the fame” that come with achievement.

Now a strong advocate for emotional intelligence, Ben’s nonprofit Champion Forward is devoted to equipping young athletes, coaches and parents with the tools they need to manage the unique emotions that come with professional sports.

“I think emotional intelligence is the thing that young athletes need more than anything, coaches need more than anything, parents need more than anything,” he says. “Sometimes as a parent, you're on the sideline, you're feeling it just as much if not more than your athlete.”

Champion Forward provides resources to help athletes develop the emotional and mental skills around “the human and heroic sides of the sport.” His mission is to foster a 

balanced mental health mindset through teaching the importance of understanding others and resilience.

“We know that develops a healthier mental health mindset going forward.”

Ben also understands the cost of ignoring these challenges. After winning the World Series, he unexpectedly found himself in a dark place, feeling empty and unsure of his purpose despite achieving a lifelong goal.

“If you don’t have the right mindset, you’re not going to feel enough,” he says. His journey through therapy and self-discovery has inspired his work today, helping athletes avoid similar struggles by addressing their mental and emotional needs upfront.

A Team-First Mindset Matters

Ben stresses the value of chasing a team-first mindset over individual glory and credits this approach as foundational to his personal growth and success in baseball.

When he first started playing, he would view himself as just a shortstop, his primary position, and would often think to himself, “put me in that position or send me to a different team.” But as he began adapting to different roles, Ben found a greater purpose in putting his team’s needs above his own.

“There's something way more rewarding about winning together than there is doing something as an individual,” he explains, illustrating the unique satisfaction that comes from being part of a collective effort.

“It made me a more valuable free agent later on in my career. It helped me develop a sense of excellence around a team mindset instead of just an individual mindset,” he reflects. “It actually led me into probably the most excellent version of myself,”

Ben also highlights that enduring teams “build a healthy sense of rapport and rhythm,” and that a team mindset allows players to “understand each other and have each other’s backs.” This lesson is invaluable not only in sports but in life, where collaboration and shared goals often lead to the most profound successes.

Integrating Heart, Soul, and Mind for True Fulfillment

Ben’s journey to finding fulfillment included facing the personal void he felt after reaching the pinnacle of his career. He shares that a fulfilling life required him to connect with his heart and soul, not just his physical talents or achievements.

“A lot of what you've probably learned up to this point is you being as strong as possible and you using your mind to strategize what you need to do to get where you want to go, but you're missing two really important components that God gave you that actually can help you really soar,” he shares, “and that's your heart and your soul.”

This perspective has become central to his mission with Champion Forward, as he believes that success isn’t solely about performance, but about embracing and honoring one’s unique identity.

“Dive into a sense of spirit, what you were made for, your purpose, personality, the things that make you unique and different from anybody else in this entire world,” he suggests. “If you don't understand that and you aren't able to share your emotional experiences with anybody in your life, then you're missing a really, really important part of being super successful someday.”

Ben advises athletes to focus on what makes them unique and encourages them to discover purpose beyond their roles or positions they play. “The role is not who you are,” he explains. “Who you are is someone that fits into that particular role.”

His final message to athletes and young people alike is to embrace their whole selves—heart, soul, and mind—on the path to excellence.

“Be comfortable in your own skin and really try to be who God allowed you to be,” he advises. “If that role isn’t made for you in the future, the right roles will show up if you are living in your heart and soul at the same time as doing and thinking.”