Universities Study Athletes’ Mental Health after Recent Crises

Late last summer, two football players at Indiana State University were killed in a car crash.

Just over one week ago, three football players at the University of Virginia were killed when they were shot by a former teammate.

In both cases, university leaders needed to make a plan to support the teammates and friends of the students who died.

Sherard Clinksdale is the director of athletics², or sports at Indiana State. He had to find ways to help the students work through their sadness. He also had the difficult job of telling the football coach and the parents of the students that their children had died.

"There is no playbook for something like this," Clinksdale said.

At the University of Virginia, Carla Williams has the top athletic¹ job. When the news came out that the students were killed on November 14, the university canceled classes and other school activities for two days. The school did not play its next football game, either.

Mental health professionals and dogs trained to offer comfort were made available to students. Williams said it was important to make counselors⁵ available for all students, not only the ones who were part of the sports team.

In recent years, sports leaders at universities say they have paid more attention to the mental health of their students. A study done in 2019 showed that college presidents were also paying more attention to student mental health.

But in 2021, a survey of college athletes found that only 53 percent of those questioned thought their coaches took mental health seriously.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association⁶, or NCAA, oversees⁷ college sports in the U.S. It does not have the power to make colleges change their mental health policies. But it does offer tools the schools can use to help students.

Sunday Henry is a doctor who works⁸ with students at Washington State University. She helped the football team there deal with the deaths of players in 2018 and 2019. Henry said the first part of the plan is to bring together all of the team members to tell them what happened and the ways they can get help.

She said she thinks college football coaches are getting better at urging their athletes to get mental health help. In the past, some players and coaches believed getting help was a sign of weakness.

Henry also said the athletic trainers are usually the best at noticing athletes who are having problems. The trainers spend a lot of time with the students who are recovering from injuries.

Tony Elliott is the University of Virginia football coach. He said he wanted to support his players. He added, "Nothing can prepare you for this situation."

Bryan Blair is the athletic director at the University of Toledo in Ohio. He worked in sports at Washington State University when the players there died. Blair said many of the adults in the sports department took a class called Mental Health First Aid.

He said the adults who work in college sports who often have contact with students should "be a resource to the student athletes."

Curt⁹ Mallory is the football coach at Indiana State. He said he makes time each Monday to meet with his student athletes, even if it seems like they are doing okay.

At California's San Jose State University, coaches had to react to the death of a player who was hit by a bus in October. The next football game was postponed¹⁰. The football coaches worked to help the student's family and plan a memorial.

The following week, the school played its game, and won. The player who died, Camdan McWright, was honored¹¹ during a special ceremony. His family was there to see the memorial.

Jeff Konya is the school's athletic director. He watched over the sports teams that week. He has worked in college sports for 36 years. In that time, he said, college sports leaders have gotten better at prioritizing mental health.

"We are in a better position now," he said. He noted¹², however, that things still can go wrong. "It is not foolproof," Konya said.

Words in This Story

coach–n. a person who trains or teaches an athlete

playbook –n. a book that contains sports plays but in this case a guide of best practices and ideas

counselor⁴ –n. a person who is trained to help people struggling with problems or concerns

comfort –n. a state of feeling less worried or upset during a time of emotional¹³ pain

survey –n. an activity where a number of people are asked questions in order to gather information about what most people think about something

trainer–n. a person who helps heal³ or prepare athletes for sports

prioritize –v. to make something the most important or first thing in a series of activities

foolproof –adj. something that is difficult to get wrong

1 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

2 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

3 heal   

v.使愈合，治愈，使康复；平息(争吵等)；消除，解决(分支等)

参考例句：

• Time helped heal the old wounds.时间有助于治愈旧创伤。
• This wound will soon heal if yon keep it clean.如果你保持伤口清洁，它很快就会痊愈。

4 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

5 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

6 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

7 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

8 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

9 curt   

adj.简短的，草率的

参考例句：

• He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
• He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。

10 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

11 honored   

adj.光荣的：荣幸的v.尊敬，给以荣誉( honor的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I hope to be honored with further orders. 如蒙惠顾，不胜荣幸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is a time-honored custom. 这是一个古老的习俗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。