BeBulldogBrave: UNC Asheville Athletics putting Mental Health at the forefront

uncabulldogs.com/BeBulldogBrave

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Some of today's highest-profile athletes have courageously shared their struggles with mental health issues. Olympians Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, No. 1 ranked tennis star Naomi Osaka and five-time All-Star and NBA champion Kevin Love have all spoken publicly about their personal struggles in recent years.

Their cry for help has opened a national conversation about the long-time stigma associated with mental health, causing a new generation of athletes to welcome discussion and expert assistance in this vital area of performance and happiness.

Janet R. Cone, the athletic director at UNC Asheville, saw the conversations and the support developing more than five years ago, when she sought out Dr. Laura Jones, associate professor of health & wellness at UNC Asheville, to create a new mental health initiative for the UNC Asheville Athletic Department.

Jones, a highly-regarded faculty member at the University with an expertise in health and wellness, mental health, neuroscience and other related areas, created a program where student-athletes, coaches and administrators would be educated, consulted and treated in mental health.

Ever since joining Bulldogs athletics, mental health services directed by Jones at UNC Asheville have been generally regarded as a model for college athletics throughout the country.

"The timing for launching this program could not have been better," said Jones recently. "A NCAA report on mental health best practices had just been released and Janet Cone wanted UNC Asheville to be a front runner in developing new services. She has been endlessly supportive from the beginning (August 2016) and the response from student-athletes and coaches has been remarkable."

While any college student can struggle with mental health issues, Dr. Jones discovered rather quickly that student-athletes face unique pressure associated with competing in sports.

"It starts with the culture," she said. "Even as early as youth sports, kids are taught to be mentally tough and push through adversity. There's so much pressure and stress accompanied with this, coupled with mixed messages about overcoming mental challenges and being mentally healthy. Athletes are asking 'how can this go together?' There's a cognitive dissonance."

Jones credits some of sports' biggest stars such as Biles and Phelps for speaking openly about their mental health issues and starting the conversation for athletes everywhere.

"There's no doubt they have had a very positive influence," said Jones. "This generation has become more willing to talk about it. Now there is this safe space to feel comfortable having these conversations."

Key aspects of UNC Asheville's successful program are educating and training coaches about mental wellness.

"We talk with them about sports culture and particularly the unspoken aspect of it. Even if coaches didn't say anything, given the longstanding culture, expectations are implied. It creates a condition where student-athletes feel the pressure to perform no matter their emotional wellness. We have a great group of coaches here. They want to learn more."

"So our job is to train them on how to support their athletes but still honor their individual coaching styles. We give them tools and discuss warning signs to help them recognize students' needs. Unless you know what you're looking for, you might just think someone is having a bad day or having an attitude. There are subtle signs like not showing up on time, or being uncharacteristically quiet or irritable, and you can pick up on it. All of our coaches are so eager to learn and have just been amazing."

Everyone close to the Bulldogs' Athletic Department universally says one of their own student-athletes has also played an extraordinary role in the mental health initiative on campus. Her name is Maya Gutman, a three-year starter on the Bulldog women's soccer team who chose to step away from the sport prior to her senior season last fall.

"I started playing soccer at the age of two," said Gutman. "I guess I just got tired of enduring the way I was being treated by coaches, and I could no longer dismiss it. I was so (fragile), a puff of wind would have blown me over. It was a really tough decision to retire but I didn't want to keep having panic attacks every time I saw the soccer field."

Although perhaps counterintuitive, Gutman did not disown UNC Asheville Athletics and flee far away from the sport that caused anxiety and stress and led to her retirement from the sport. Instead, she was determined to find solutions for her nightmarish experiences and help other student-athletes from falling into a dark place.

"I didn't want to walk away silently," she shared. "I wanted to make sure other athletes could avoid what I went through. I didn't hold my coaches responsible. They are just a product of the system. I knew we needed to not only educate athletes, but also their coaches. I wanted to change the vicious cycle, to break the chain."

So while admittedly nervous, Gutman scheduled a meeting with Cone in the AD's office.

"I shared my story with Janet and my decision to retire," she said. "She not only listened to me but she heard me. She allowed me to share my perspective as a student-athlete, which I was so grateful for. I told her we needed to be proactive instead of reactive, and that I wouldn't want other athletes to lose their love of the game because of mental stress."

Cone not only listened, but she took action.

"I'm so glad I communicated and was brave enough to share with her," Gutman added. "Right then, she asked me to play a role in expanding the department's mental health initiative. Only good things have come out of this."

Almost immediately, Gutman partnered with Dr. Jones to conduct research projects about mental wellness within the college sports community.

Gutman, who will graduate this spring with a health and wellness promotion degree (with management and psychology minors), plans to go to graduate school at Boston University.

"My master's will be in social work and public health," she said. "I'm particularly interested in developing a mental health curriculum for K through 12 schools."

That interest has already materialized in a still-untitled children's book she hopes to publish later this year.

As for Dr. Jones, the COVID pandemic only added to her workload as there was a sharp increase of student-athlete appointments on her daily schedule over the past two-and-half years.

"It impacted them like students all over the country," Jones said. "We needed to shift gears to online classes. And for a lot of them, they had their sport taken away or changed, which was quite emotional. We needed to provide them with coping mechanisms and also help them deal with the isolation and anxiety. Everyone reacted in different ways."

Jones got the green light from Cone to make a part-time hire to address the increase in student-athletes utilizing the department's mental health services. She knew exactly who should fill the newly-created consulting position of Mental Health Advisor.

Dr. Jadarius Jackson, the director of the Office of Accessibility Resources at nearby Western Carolina University, was a friend and colleague of Jones dating back to their graduate college days. He agreed to join her as a member of the Mental Health Task Force and has flawlessly handled the overload of coach and student-athlete consultations. Although Western Carolina is his primary employer, Jackson, who earned a doctorate in Educational Studies and a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, has a dual employment arrangement with UNC Asheville and is able to serve as an Athletics Mental Health Advisor for the Bulldogs.

Jones also saw a distinct advantage of having Jackson on board, not only because of his training and who he is as a person, but also because of his African American heritage.

"Research tells us that athletes of color face unique challenges when it comes to mental health, the stigma surrounding mental health, and accessing mental health services," Dr. Jones said. "Jadarius can connect on a deeper level with most UNC Asheville student-athletes of color because of a common bond. Not only have his sessions been productive but more athletes of color have been willing to become involved in the initiative.

Jackson appreciates that UNC Asheville has recognized the need for his position in the athletic department.

"There's no doubt that many student-athletes of color, particularly on the track and basketball teams, need someone they can relate to," he said. "When you look at the administration and positions of leadership, it doesn't always reflect the composition of the student body. I think I can remove some of those barriers and help them open up to conversations. There's a commonality there."

Jones and Jackson provide a wide array of services in the athletic department, ranging from mental health training for coaches, administrators and athletes, to individual consultations and assessing student-athletes' mental wellness and needs, to group presentations to monthly mental health check-ins.

"COVID has added to the mental stress on campus," said Jones. "For many, there has been a feeling of loss. With testing and procedures, it hasn't been the traditional college experience for college students."

Jones stressed that she and Jackson do not consider themselves sports psychologists, and that often they facilitate student-athletes' needs by referring them to other trained professionals outside of campus.

More than anything, Dr. Jones finds her work personally rewarding.

"Beyond helping someone in need, I hope to plant a seed with each person that
they can carry into the world and know it's okay to reach out for help. It's important for UNC Asheville athletes and coaches to know that someone cares."

Jones said she hopes that UNC Asheville will become a role model for mental health services in the Big South Conference and the Southeast region of the country. It would seem she and her staff are already well on their way to making that goal a reality.

For more information and access to resources, please visit the Bulldog Mental Health Support and Resources page under the "Student-Athletes" tab on uncabulldogs.com.

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

BeBulldogBrave: UNC Asheville Athletics putting Mental Health at the forefront

Related News

Related Videos