Abstract
College athletics often celebrates toughness and resilience, yet emotional well-being is frequently overlooked. As both a former student-athlete and a current mental health counselor, I have witnessed how athletes struggle with anxiety, identity challenges, and performance pressures in silence. Despite increased awareness, mental health support remains underutilized due to stigma and team norms that discourage seeking help (Bauman, 2016; Eberman et al., 2023). This presentation introduces a proactive, culturally responsive approach: interactive mental health workshops that combine performance psychology, mental health literacy, and peer support. These workshops equip athletes with practical strategies for managing stress, expressing needs, and navigating transitions, while also fostering healthier team environments (Shannon et al., 2019; Kern et al., 2017). Adapted to each team’s culture whether commuter colleges or elite programs, these workshops make mental health visible and part of everyday athletic life. Through personal experience, real-world implementation, and research, I demonstrate how these workshops bridge the gap between athletic identity and emotional well-being. Attendees will explore techniques for shifting team culture, supporting help-seeking behaviors, and redefining strength in sport as both physical and emotional resilience.
Presenters
Davin WilliamsAssistant Counselor, Counseling and Student Development, Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut, United States
