Finish Line Mindset

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Finish Line Mindset Sport social work organization dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for athletes of all sports, ages, and levels.

Led by Tara Wells, LCSW
- 1:1 sessions
- groups and workshops
- over 10 years of experience supporting thousands of athletes

10/15/2026

October 15, 2026 marks five years of me being a full-time entrepreneur. In 2020 I started my private practice and began my journey in sports social work. Five years ago on this day I took the plunge quit my school day social work job and took my private practice full-time.

I couldn’t have done it without the support of friends, family, and my network of colleagues and supporters. While this post gets to be about me, I have to show my appreciation for the athletes and families that commit to the hard work with me day and a day out.

I feel so proud of what I’ve built and what I’ve been able to accomplish in five years and can’t wait to see what the next five have to bring.

Let this be a reminder to celebrate you a little today. 🎉

Not pictured: the Taco Bell birthday cake empanada I ate to commemorate.

10/02/2026

Silence isn’t strength.

Many athletes who struggle never ask for help. There’s stigma, fear of losing playing time, the “tough it out” culture. Often times, there’s even a lack of resources available to athletes.

The problems we see in sports social work include athletes not asking for help out of fear and out of lack of access. But what we know is people who know how and when to ask for help are also able to perform at their best.

If your mind is a part of performance and your brain is a part of your body, why not incorporate mental health and performance care in your weekly routine just like you do with practice and conditioning?

If you’re the athlete struggling, a teammate, or a coach, here some things I want to put on your radar:
👋🏽 Be the teammate that checks in and notices
📓 Something as simple as journaling can help end stigma
👥 Get connected with local groups such as SAC
🔌 Look up what resources you do have and make sure they’re easily accessible (sports psychologist, campus mental health center, free apps for college students like calm)

Mental health is not optional and it is for you.

For more information, you can find a resources tab on my website. Link in bio.

ASWIS 2026! It was an honor and a privilege to present to a group of colleagues I truly admire. I made new friends and c...
09/26/2026

ASWIS 2026! It was an honor and a privilege to present to a group of colleagues I truly admire. I made new friends and connections and strengthened my existing ones and upgraded them to “real life” friends now that we’ve met in person.

Finally got to my first WNBA game since Florida isn’t with the program yet! Las Vegas Aces ♠️🏀

Obviously a special shout out to the best roomie and cheerleader Laura HS Collins, LCSW. Thanks for exchanging therapy sessions with me this week and never judging me for editing my presentation and for helping me get those goodie bags together! (Come to my presentations where you get free sh*t).

🧡🧡🧡
Athletes Supported Sport Social Work
Art Romero | Registered Associate Social Worker
B Anthony, LISW-S
Emily Bergland
cora ᜃᜓᜇ

First time at Alliance of Social Workers in Sports annual symposium! Honored to be able to present info to support other...
09/14/2026

First time at Alliance of Social Workers in Sports annual symposium! Honored to be able to present info to support other private practice owners working to improve mental health for athletes!!

See y’all there!

PS- I’m making goodie bags 🎁

06/19/2026

Day trip to IMG Academy. 💪🏽🧠

A day of conversation and learning about mental performance and wellness across different disciplines.

Thank you Dr. Cristina Dominguez | Sport Psychotherapist for telling me about the event and inviting me!

06/09/2026

Imagine if we didn’t compare ourselves to others but just against our own growth…

05/22/2026

💐What I learned from a floral arrangement class as a recovering perfectionist:

1. The first move is still the hardest and most overthought one
2. I look to others to see how my progress is
3. When the instructor walks around, I have an anxious freeze response

What this tells me is that I’m still a work in progress. Unlearning perfectionism is a loooooooong uphill battle. Coming from a technical background in tennis, rigorous academics, and belly dance, it’s no surprise that I internalized getting things right the first time was how I measure success.

Most of the athletes I see struggle with similar things. Whether it’s challenging themselves to conquer the skill that they have yet to master in their sport or starting something new after retiring, that starting point is a tough one. Research also tells us that it’s harder for women than men to start these kinds of things so we tend to procrastinate until we self determine that we can perfect the task (Martin, 2024) (Sand et al., 2021). That information really puts my own struggle in perspective.

Shoutout to for inviting me and bringing together therapists to really test our work together.

05/18/2026

Learning to self regulate is a vital skill for any athlete.
Make mistakes, take direction, and move on. Easier said than done.

⭐️Learn to take deep breaths regularly before you “need them”. Everyone I work with gets homework to rehearse a deep breathing skill multiple times a day - that way your body knows how to use it when you are feeling anxious or upset. Knowing what calm actually feels like will let deep breaths work a lot better and quicker.

⭐️Practice saying to yourself “I’m feeling (blank) and that’s ok. It won’t last forever”. You’ve never felt anything forever. Moods and feelings are fleeting and temporary by design.

Also, reframing “I am anxious” to “I am feeling anxiety” can actually support the experience passing quicker.

⭐️If you find yourself shutting down at practice or after games, I recommend you find a skill or distraction that encourages confidence. Cool off with ground balls, jogging, stretching, a conversation with someone about anything other than your sport.

Whatever it is, it just has to create some emotional distance from what caused your shut down AND help you feel good and/or confident doing it. Then you do the hard reflection work to assess what you need whether (likely some self forgiveness).

🌱 Dear athlete, you’re going to make mistakes in your sport. You’re actually supposed to! So take them in stride and practice some growth mindset so you can know better then do better.

05/13/2026

If you’re an athlete or know an athlete who needs that level of support beyond skills and drills, I’ve got you.

I’ve helped hundreds of athletes overcome mental barriers and build a better relationship with themselves. My main focus areas are:

- identity in and out of sport
- disordered eating and body image
- performance psychology
- confidence

DM me directly if you have any questions or curiosities about this work and to get started. Current rates and consultations are available on my website. Link in bio.

04/17/2026

“Identity as a house” is one of the coolest analogies I’ve heard in a while and I’m loving it!!

Shoutout to for the info.

Address

5650 Bollettieri Blvd
Bradenton, FL
34210

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