How sport, mindset, and mental wellbeing are changing the game for the next generation of girls
Poppy Barley has pledged $100,000 over three years through its Future Fund to close “The Girl Gap” by empowering girls ages 10–14 with opportunities in sport, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.
PB Ambassador, Kristen Campbell, elevates the world for girls through sport. Kristen is a decorated Canadian ice hockey goaltender currently guarding the net for PWHL Vancouver and Team Canada. Campbell contributes off-ice through goalie camps that support girls’ development.
KC Elite Goaltending is Kristen Campbell’s premier goaltending development program, offering skills camps and training sessions to help young netminders elevate their game and build confidence on and off the ice. This year, Poppy Barley presented the mental health session at camp to empower girls on the ice and in every arena of life. For the mental health session, Kristen brought in her psychologist, Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood. Dr. Toogood is one of Canada’s top sport and performance psychology experts, working with Olympians, Paralympians, and high performers across fields.
To prep for the session at camp, I had a meeting with Kristen and Dr. Toogood. It was one of those rare conversations you wish would never end. While we couldn’t all attend the mental health session in person, I knew the insights were too important not to share. Managing stress, sharpening focus, and building resilience under pressure—these aren’t just tools for athletes. They’re for all of us, especially anyone chasing big dreams.
Please note: Our conversation has been edited and condensed.
Kristen, can you take us back to when you first fell in love with hockey? As hockey evolved into your career, how has your relationship with the game changed?
Kristen Campbell: I first fell in love with hockey in Grade 2, my older brother played and I wanted to be just like him. We always played street hockey outside and he would make me be the goalie. I enjoyed playing forward and defence at first but was always intrigued by the goalie position. I switched to a full-time goalie in Grade 5 and never looked back. There was always something about being at the rink that felt safe, and free. It was always my happy place, I could spend every day there and never get bored, I have always had an immense passion for the game. As a professional athlete, I think I have become a more well-rounded person, as a kid I had such high goals and aspirations that hockey was everything to me. I identified as a hockey player before just a human being. I think growing older has made me realize that there is life outside of hockey. I am not just a hockey player, yet I am a daughter, granddaughter, friend, auntie, partner etc. I have met many amazing people through the game of hockey and my support system is so strong. I try to spend as much time with these people as possible and let them know how grateful I am for their support over the years. My tight-knit circle of people who support me are the reasons I have been able to achieve what I have in my career. I work hard at shaping an identity outside of sport and having a balance outside of life at the rink. I also love mentoring and coaching the next generation, it brings me so much joy to have impact on the journeys of young aspiring goalies.
My relationship with the game has evolved over time. I have a deeper appreciation for all of the wonderful things the game of hockey has given me and I am excited about the future of the sport for so many reasons.
Have there been times when you felt underestimated or out of place, and how did you move through it?
KC: I can recall many times in my career when I have been considered the “underdog,” and I actually love being underestimated. I will never forget the quote “bet on the underdog. People don't know the desire mindset of the underdog. They don't know their will to win and outdo everyone else. They don't know your heart or your mind.”
I am fueled by how great I can be and I lean into the voices that believe in me to overcome any critics or doubters––they don’t matter when you surround yourself with the right people and have an immense belief in yourself and what your abilities are.
What mental health tools did you wish you had when you were 15 years?
KC: I first started working with a sports psychologist when I was around 15 years old. This was huge for me as I value my mental game so much. I think when I was younger I wish I would’ve built more of an identity outside of sport, it’s something that over time built up to the point where I saw hockey as who I was as a person. Being a pro has made me realize that living a well balanced lifestyle is the key to sustaining long term success in sport. You have to have proper balance outside of the rink in order to constantly excel at what you’re doing and keep your happiness, mental health and passion for the game. I think mental health has become such a big topic in sport and making sure you’re keeping yourself mentally well outside of sport. I love Dr Toogood’s victory method journal that focuses on mental well-being and performance in sport. This tool is something my younger self would’ve benefited from.
Dr. Toogood, at what age or stage, do you recommend a psychologist become part of an athlete's team? How do you find the right one for you?
KC: There’s no perfect age - but the earlier we normalize support, the better. You know you’ve found the right fit when you feel safe, heard, and understood. That connection matters more than any technique. I believe psychology should be a proactive part of the performance pathway. If an athlete wants to do something big, they need to be physically and mentally well. A good psychologist can support both the athlete and the people around them. Think of us as part of your team - not just for when things go wrong, but to help you navigate the road ahead with clarity and strength.
Dr. Toogood, you often say, ‘Pressure creates energy. It’s not a sign to stop—it’s a sign you’re on the right track.’ How do you transform pressure into energy?
KC: Pressure shows up when we care. As Kelly McGonigal says, stress is a sign that something matters, and the outcome isn’t guaranteed. That creates energy - it’s part of doing important things. What matters is what we do with it. Instead of denying nerves or stress, I encourage athletes to name it, get curious about how it shows up, and build tools to manage it. That awareness turns pressure from a threat into a resource.
I use a simple cycle: Get Ready. Go. Get it back. Grow.
Learn to prepare, act, recover, and grow. Every moment is a chance to understand yourself better and figure out how you want to show up. Performance isn’t about being fearless - it’s about being open, intentional, and willing to grow through every experience.
Kristen, what does mental strength look like to you, and how is it different from just “pushing through”?
KC: Mental strength to me means giving it your best effort even on your worst day. It means showing up for yourself regardless of the challenge in front of you and how difficult it feels. It means always striving to be the best version of yourself and leaning into the voices that matter and the people who believe in you, value and respect you as a human first, and athlete second. It means competing against yourself daily and seeing how great YOU can be. I have faced a ton of adversity throughout my career, and how I have been able to come out on top by how much value I place on betting on myself and believing in what I am capable of. Realizing that no one out there affects your ability to be exceptional at what you do and you are always in the driver's seat, has been a big benefit to my life inside and outside of sport.
Ultimately, mental strength to me is finding happiness and passion in your craft, regardless of what’s going on around you. This is done by choosing to show up in a positive way and always controlling your attitude, effort and body language.
Kristen, what are some tools or rituals you use when the pressure is high—like before a big game or competition?
KC: Before a big game or competition, I like to journal and write down powerful affirmations and reasons why I will succeed. I think journaling and self-reflection is a huge part of my process. I am a big believer in learn, grow and evolve, so I am constantly reflecting on what I learn from any situation, how I can grow and what I will do to evolve as both a person and goalie. I also like to use visualization before heading to the rink to create positive images in my head of myself performing under pressure and seeing certain plays and scenarios that could potentially come up in the game. When I do this successfully, I walk into the game feeling extremely prepared and confident for anything thrown my way and it allows me to play free and be in the moment, letting the game come to me. Breath work has also been helpful for me in the moment to steady my focus and keep my mind clear and reactive to what unfolds in front of me.
Dr. Toogood, from a mental health perspective, what advice would you give to people raising or coaching female athletes?
Dr. Toogood: I often talk about the Four C’s of Resilience:
- Control - Help them focus on what’s in their power. When things get hard, redirect the conversation to “What can you do with this?”
- Challenge - Let them know discomfort is part of growth. One of my favourite mindset shifts comes from Cindra Kamphoff: What if things aren’t happening to us, but for us?
- Connection - Teach them to recognize who supports them, and how. That includes learning to connect with themselves.
- Commitment - Support them in knowing who they are, what keeps them well, and what they stand for.
Dr. Toogood, is working with athletes different than working with business executives? If yes, how?
Dr. Toogood: At the core, not really. I work human-first. Stress, pressure, doubt, resilience - those show up regardless of the arena. In sport, performance is often the door that opens these deeper conversations. But I take the same approach with executives. Who do you want to be when it matters most? That’s the heart of it. Whether you’re on the field or in a boardroom, learning to show up fully, especially in high-stakes moments, is how we grow and lead with purpose.
Dr. Toogood, what’s one simple mental health habit every person – young or old – should build into their daily life?
Dr. Toogood: Start and end your day with a check-in. I like to call it Full Colour Living. It’s a way of tuning into where you're at emotionally - green, yellow, or red - and then choosing what you need to bring your best to the day ahead or recover from the one you just had. When we proactively notice how we're doing, especially on hard days, we give ourselves the chance to meet the moment with intention. It’s not about fixing how you feel - it's about understanding it so you can lead yourself well.
A very big thank you to Kristen and Dr. Toogood for sharing their experiences and expertise with us. As a business leader, mom and athlete, my takeaways are the importance of mental well-being routines and training, along with harnessing pressure, building a support system and never giving my identity over to one part of my life.
I encourage you to become one of Kristen’s biggest fans by following and cheering for her. On Instagram, Dr. Toogood drops all kinds of wisdom and mindset tools that stay with you for life.
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