Embracing the Conversation of Mental Health in Athletics
Chicago was knocking on the door of 100° all week. A brief walk could bring on a full sweat. The annual Good Athlete Project 5k was coming up and we weren’t quite sure how we’d be able to pull it off! But then, Saturday came along, and it was 70° on the lakeshore. A beautiful…
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By Jim Davis, EdM, MA, RSCC*D The weight room can be one of the most powerful learning environments in all of athletics. For 9 months each year (an offseason), dedicated educators create cultures within a “classroom” full of novelty, goal-directed behavior, hard work and fun. Time after time, young people report learning valuable lessons in…
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The Angel Harvey Infant Welfare Society of Chicago has been serving communities in Chicago for more than 100 years. In 1908, the organization was founded in response to high rates of infant mortality in the Chicagoland area. It began as a “milk station,” where babies could be weighed and served clean, fresh, pasteurized milk. Since…
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Acho ends the book by saying, “Ending racism is not a finish line that we will cross. It’s a road we’ll travel”. For those of us who want all of our fellow Americans to finally enjoy the fruits of freedom and justice, “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man” is the perfect guide to start that journey.
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These are tough times. Without school and sports, the increase in sedentariness and decrease in peer connection has created a problematic psychological cocktail. A member of our neighboring community recently lost his life to suicide. To suggest that any one thing led to his tragic passing would be an insult to the complexity of this…
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone. Fear, civic unrest, and professional uncertainty have made this a year to remember. On top of it all, one of the most tried-and-true ways to de-stress – sports – have been significantly interrupted. It has been a trying time for athletes, coaches, and parents. It…
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We should prioritize our health and wellness, which will give us the best shot at fending off the virus, and we should do our best to adhere to public health recommendations, which will give us the best shot at limiting the spread of the virus.
We have to frame COVID as an essential public health concern, but not the only public health concern. This is a moment to maintain thoughtful perspective, not entrench ourselves in one side of the discussion or other.
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Skip Bayless made headlines this week with his callous response to a professional athlete’s mental health concern. Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott admitted that when the quarantine first began he struggled with anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Bayless wasn’t having it. “I don’t have sympathy for him going public with, ‘I got depressed. I suffered depression early…
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At the most recent MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that many NBA players are experiencing increased anxiety which is “a direct result of social media… they’re truly unhappy.” Charles Barkley, during an interview on the ESPN show, Get Up, scoffed at the idea. He suggested that Silver’s comment was “the…
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Death by suicide is a complicated occurrence which often leaves loved ones saddened and confused. The on-paper version of Tyler Hilinski’s passing is no exception: tall, bright, likeable young man playing quarterback in the Pac10. He leaves behind a loving family and host of friends who will miss him dearly. So what went wrong? Many recent…
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Team Embrace 