NCAA Mental Health Program |
Minding Your Mind |
UW-Stout Counseling Center
MENOMONIE (March 31, 2021) - The pandemic of the past year has put mental health awareness on the minds of many over the past year and recently UW-Stout student-athletes participated in a virtual Zoom program that called attention to the topic.
The topic of mental health awareness seemed to grab the student-athlete's attention, said
Becky Beaulieu, UW-Stout's athletic department's mental health liaison and gymnastics coach. Beaulieu noted the level of interest in the topic and the amount of conversation that took place during and after the presentation.
"Many of our students-athletes spoke about how they cope (with pressures)," Beaulieu said. "I was inspired by the number of student-athletes that spoke up or were in the chat. They were asking how could they help a friend; how could they tell if someone is having trouble?"
The evening's program featured Andrew Onimus, a former football and track and field student-athlete at NCAA Division III Muhlenberg University, who now is a featured speaker for Minding Your Mind.
According to the organization's website, it features "young adult speakers, who have successfully and productively coped with their mental health challenges, share their stories of hope, recovery, and resilience. We use the power of storytelling to provide evidence-based education about mental health challenges in schools, communities, and workplaces."
UW-Stout has been emphasizing mental health for the past several years, even before the pandemic pushed the issue further to the forefront. Stout student-athletes take part in mental health screening every year in cooperation with the UW-Stout Counseling Center and director Chassidy Faith.
Onimus, a 2014 college graduate, shared his story growing up with no major crises during his childhood, but during his college career starting experiencing depression and began considering suicidal thoughts. Onimus found his way to help, and now speaks to encourage students with similar emotions to seek help.
Onimus pointed out how students could recognize signs of mental health issues and symptoms of fellow student-athletes who may be struggling. Beaulieu said Onimus addressed pressures of being a student and additional pressures of being a student-athlete.
The discussion resonated among the approximately 400 student-athletes on the call.
"So many students seem to be craving this type of conversation," said Beaulieu. "Some were teary-eyed because it hit home."
Beaulieu said that during the 60-minute program "her phone was blowing up" with additional questions from student-athletes about mental health issues. In the days since the program, she has had several Stout coaches stop by her office to talk about the session and how they can help the student-athletes from their teams dealing with the stress of a being a student.
"It seems as though it is time to lean into some hard conversations," Beaulieu said. "Several teams have had excellent follow-up conversations."
Student-athletes are encouraged to talk to friends, coaches and staff, Beaulieu said, and to reach out to the UW-Stout Counseling Center about their mental health and well being.
The UW-Stout Counseling Center, located in 410 Bowman Hall, can be reached by phone at: 715-232-2468 or by email:
counseling@uwstout.edu
