mental health
Preventing burnout amid the pressure of winning
Lou Holtz, the legendary former college football coach, once said, “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” He suggested it is one’s attitude toward work, rather than the sheer volume of the labor involved. ...
Breaking the injury cycle: Why mental health and sleep matter
A junior guard keeps spraining the same ankle. A distance runner’s minor hamstring strain never seems to fully heal. On paper, the rehab plan looks perfect; in reality, the athlete is stressed, anxious about losing their spot, sleeping five ...
Practical strategies for student-athlete leadership development
One of the many challenging aspects that take place at small colleges across the country is the development of student-athlete leadership. Where I work at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), we typically have our student-athletes for two years a...
NFHS debuts free mental health course
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has launched a new online course for high school students that provides education and resources on mental health and wellness. [caption id="attachment_28213" align="alignleft" width=...
How to handle mental health issues in the female student-athlete
Mental health among college athletes is rapidly gaining the attention it deserves — and for good reasons. College is a pressure cooker of academic, athletic, and social demands, but the load often comes with additional, unseen challenges for female...
Athletes offer platform to help with mental health struggles
A study on athlete mental health published in 2024 found that suicide is the second most common cause of death among NCAA athletes, with incidence increasing during a 20-year analysis from 2002 to 2022. Today's athletes aren't taking this informat...
Destigmatizing and addressing athlete mental health
Karlie Interkolfer, Ph.D, is a global research scientist for Matrix Fitness. Pat Ivey, Ph.D., is a senior associate athletic director of health & performance for Louisville. And Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic gold medalist swimmer. ...
Study: A friendly touch can improve basketball performance
According to a research team at the University of Basel in Switzerland, a friendly pat on the back ahead of a stressful situation can actually improve a basketball player's in-game performance. A recent story from JPost.com detailed a recent study...
