Chapman athletes, administrators speak on mental health in sports

Collegiate athletes are often unsure of where to turn to seek help for mental health, as evidenced by these statistics from USA Today, and that issue may be present at Chapman as well. Graphic by Emma Reith

Destigmatize. Normalize. Raise awareness.

Conversations on mental health in America have become a bigger part of the social zeitgeist recently, and the sports world is no exception. National Basketball Association (NBA) players like DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Love and Chris Bosh have been part of a recent movement to normalize talking about anxiety, depression and day-to-day mental health struggles. Now, this movement is extending to Chapman. The Panther interviewed Terry Boesel and Doug Aiken, Chapman’s Athletic Director and Associate Athletic Director, on the subject of mental health amongst athletes. The two reflected on their experiences growing up and how the conversation around mental health has changed.

“In my generation, it wasn’t talked about. It doesn’t mean that athletes didn’t have (mental health) issues, but it wasn’t addressed in a team environment and it wasn’t addressed in a student environment,” Aiken said. “The message was, ‘If you’re having a bad day, tough it out.’”

This culture is drummed into athletes from the beginning of their careers; the most revered and respected players are the ones who continue to persevere through injury, through trauma, through struggles with mental illness. It’s a mentality that glorifies perseverance, minimizing the importance of self-care - and it’s ingrained in sports culture.

“‘Suck it up. Quit being soft,’” Boesel said. “Those kinds of things.”

How do athletes cope under that environment of pressure? The Panther spoke to Chapman athletes about their routines and the resources available to them – but some weren’t certain where they could go on campus to find help.

“If you were to ask me what specific resources (the school) provides, I would say ‘I have no idea,’” said sophomore volleyball co-captain Jessi Lumsden.

Instead, some take it upon themselves to regulate their moods. For freshman hockey player Kinsley Rolph, a component of staying mentally healthy is having a weekly routine to keep a level head. Rolph does breathing exercises in the morning and takes Sunday as a “self-care day,” where she will eat her favorite foods, watch TV or go on walks through the circle, among other activities. “Just finding something that’ll make me feel at peace,” Rolph said.

Rolph also mentioned that she didn’t know much about mental health resources for athletes at Chapman. But the school provides a range of options for students.

One is Student Psychological Counseling Services (SPCS), which provides free therapy to Chapman students. Another is Therapy Assistance Online (TAO), a free online program that can be used in conjunction with seeing a therapist or as an alternative. TAO is made up of nine different modules that students can work with, centered on a variety of topics such as anxiety, depression, mediating conflict and stress management.

“It’s not one sole resource dedicated to mental wellness, it’s many resources working together really collaboratively to create a cohesive support for students and their mental health,” said Sam Martinez, Chapman’s Outreach Coordinator for Wellness Promotion.

For student athletes, their team can also be a source of support as well. Lumsden, for one, is grateful for the positive team environment she’s found at Chapman – especially since she struggled with difficult team dynamics in high school. Lumsden said she feels the support of her fellow players at Chapman. “I feel like I can fall back on them on whatever, whether it’s volleyball related or not,” Lumsden said. “I feel like a lot of our teams are super close with one another and I feel like that’s a huge way student athletes are able to address mental health problems.”

The feeling of support Lumsden describes can be essential for those that struggle with feelings of isolation. Boesel emphasized that the worst thing the team and administration could do for a player is to have them to stop playing, thereby removing them from a positive team environment.

Support from a team, a coach, a trainer or friend can help immensely, said Chapman Head Athletic Trainer Pamela Gibbons.

“Sometimes, it just takes them understanding that there are people that care,” Gibbons said.

If you are struggling with mental health issues, or know someone who is, here are some resources. Instructions for registering for Counseling Services can be found online.

Students can register for TAO on their website using their Chapman email address.

If you are concerned about a friend’s safety you can fill out a Student Concern information form online. For further reading on destigmatization of the topic of mental health in sports — Kevin Love’s Essay “Everyone is Going Through Something.”