by Greg Barlow, Communications Assistant
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Green will be the color of choice for student-athletes across the American Athletic Conference in 2017-18. Green shirts, wrist bands and shoe laces will be in fashion.
Why green? Green is the color of mental health awareness. In an effort to promote and shine light on a topic that impacts student-athletes nationwide, The American Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will host events throughout the year as part of the Conference’s Mental Health Awareness initiative.
“Our goal is to let everybody know that they are not alone and there are resources available if they do need help,” says Enna Selmanovic, The American’s representative on the NCAA Division I SAAC and a member of the University of Cincinnati swimming and diving team. “Student-athletes need to feel more open to and comfortable receiving the help they might need.”
Promoting mental health awareness has been at the forefront of the NCAA’s agenda surrounding student-athlete well-being. Selmanovic brought the topic back to the conference after attending a National SAAC meeting in July. It was no surprise that she and her SAAC peers would be on board in investing in this issue.
“It definitely hit home for everyone—everyone had a story to tell about how they were impacted by mental health issues,” says Selmanovic. “I don’t think people realize how prevalent the situation is.”
Balancing athletics, academics, and a social life makes student-athletes more susceptible to unique stressors on a daily basis. Thirty-five NCAA student-athletes committed suicide between 2003-12, making up a total of 7.3 percent of the total student-athletes’ deaths occurring during this timeframe.
“That’s 7.3 percent too many,” Selmanovic notes.
Starting Sept. 25, The American SAAC will kick off its year-long initiative with a Social Media Day. Conference and member institutions accounts will post information, statistics and videos to shine light on the issues surrounding mental health in athletics. Each post will include the #Pow6rfulMinds tagline, which highlights the conference’s commitment to student-athlete well-being and academic success.
“We’re asking our student-athletes and coaches to share positive messages about the importance of mental health,” says Tulane associate director for academics Charvi Greer.
Throughout the week, institutions will invite doctors and other medical professionals, as well as current and former professional athletes, to take part in panel discussions and host lectures.
UCF and Cincinnati are planning to have some of their former players return to campus to share their experiences with current student-athletes.
Cincinnati has invited student-athletes to attend panel discussions, where professionals from around the campus will talk about case studies.
ECU will pass out green ribbon pins around campus and host several events, including mindfulness training led by the school’s Center for Counseling and Student Development and a service dog event for student-athletes.
On Sept. 26, Tulane will host its Mental Health Panel with former professional athletes Jabari Greer and Lauren Miller, as well as Dr. Gregory Stewart, who is the director of the Sports Concussion Management Program and a team physician for the University. The Green Wave will also hold its National Alliance on Mental Health Race the morning of Sept. 30.
Institutions also will host Green Games, Meets, and Matches throughout the year by having each team designate one competition dedicated to mental health awareness. Student-athletes and coaches will wear green wristbands, ribbons, shoe laces or swimming caps, and hand out t-shirts with the “#Pow6rfulMinds” printed on them. There will also be related public service announcements throughout these selected contests.
With some of their peers overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, body image, and depression, The American SAAC representatives hope to defeat the negative stigma that accompanies mental illness and to highlight the resources available on campus to help those in need.
“The NCAA has really pushed for mental health awareness, and I think there is a huge stigma around talking to someone and getting help,” says Danielle Morrin, director of life skills/community service liaison at ECU. “We want to break down that stigma of, ‘it’s not ok to talk to someone,’ and have our student-athletes go in and feel more comfortable getting the help they need.”
The conference will produce a video featuring clips from all the various campus Mental Health Awareness initiatives, and the video will debut at the conference’s April 6-7 Academic Symposium, at which research regarding student-athlete health and well-being will be presented.