Team Embrace

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…

By Ben Skutnik All of my life, those that sat in the role of coach or mentor have described me as someone who was “driven”. Whether it was in the high school weight room, competing as an All-American swimmer in college, or as a graduate student. A strong internal drive is often seen as a…

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…

by Annie Gerdes As a soccer coach who is also pursuing a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, this subject hits me very close to home. Throughout my life I have dealt with depression and anxiety and sports helped me cope and survive day to day. I have learned to manage my depression and anxiety…

Author: Ryan J. Faer In February of 2018, I sat in the office of the Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Indians, ready to share with him something that very few people knew: I was there to tell this man, our Farm Director, that I had depression. In fact, much of my life to…

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…

Coaches, Athletes, Parents, and Mentors of all kinds… it’s time to Embrace the Conversation of Mental Health in Athletics. At the Good Athlete Project, we believe that if you are part of a team, there should always be someone to reach out to. Coaches should work to embrace the conversation and support athletes as needed.…

MentalHealth.gov: https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/immediate-help Embrace Mental Health: https://www.embracemh.org/ Hotlines via Embrace Mental Health: https://www.embracemh.org/hotlines Take a Screening via Embrace Mental Health: https://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/embracemh Self-Care Networks and Apps via Embrace Mental Health: https://www.embracemh.org/self-care