Author Archive: AC Admin

It’s Okay to Get the Help You Need

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan’s Athletes Connected program released a new video this week in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month.  

The video features Anika Dy, a recent U-M graduate and member of the women’s golf team, and shines a light on her journey from mental illness to mental health. Dy’s story is a continuation of “Student-Athlete Stories,” a series of short videos designed to normalize mental health issues by reducing stigma, raising awareness and promoting help-seeking.

“You don’t come to the University of Michigan to be mediocre,” said Dy. “You come here to be the best.”

Her story is one common among student-athletes. What happens when the pressures of being an elite student and an elite athlete become too much to take? When the stress of competing at a high level starts to take its toll on our health?

“I became more and more isolated. All my time became golf, school, golf, school. That’s it,” she shared. This rigorous schedule caused her to withdraw and deepened her loneliness. She began to feel like she was the only one experiencing these types of challenges.

For Dy, the accumulation of stressors resulted in a panic attack while on a golf training trip. “I experienced something I didn’t experience before,” she noted. “It came to a point where I just broke down.”

It’s key to know that progress is not linear, and asking for help only makes you stronger. It’s not a sign of weakness. It makes you a stronger athlete, student and person.”

The Athletics Counseling Team in U-M’s Athletic Department helped coordinate care for Dy, which included regular sessions with a therapist, and a helpful inpatient stay.

Dy explained, “For me, asking for help, or even trying to see a therapist was very new territory… It did help me and it saved me.”

Reflecting on her journey so far, Dy made an astute observation for anyone dealing with mental health issues.

“It’s key to know that progress is not linear, and asking for help only makes you stronger. It’s not a sign of weakness. It makes you a stronger athlete, student and person.

About Athletes Connected
Formed in 2014 on an NCAA pilot grant by a collaboration of University of Michigan Depression Center, Athletics and School of Public Health, Athletes Connected actively works to provide student-athletes with the tools and resources possible to support student-athletes along the continuum of wellbeing. Athletes Connected does this by promoting awareness of mental health issues, reducing the stigma of help-seeking and promoting positive coping skills among student-athletes. To learn more about the program, view the entire catalog of videos, read original stories and access helpful resources for student-athletes and non-athletes alike.

On Shame

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By Erin Finn, MD, MPH

Shame is a heavy emotion. It aches the heart, weighs us down, stifles hope, paralyzes forward motion. Further, shame is silent, thriving in isolation and secrecy. And worst of all, it spirals us into its grip as we sink ever deeper into its hold. We feel beholden to shame, as if we owe the world shame as retribution for our failures and shortcomings.

In athletics, we might feel shame for struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder. We might feel shame for having a distorted body image. We might feel shame for being unable to rest from training. We might ask ourselves how we can struggle with concepts athletes should have a hardened ability to perfect. The list goes on.

I hope we are able to take up the mantle against shame over disordered behaviors and thoughts around eating, exercise, and body image. These behaviors and thoughts are common. Yet, they are changeable

Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth. Countless studies show the increased prevalence of these thoughts, emotions, and feelings among all athletes, regardless of gender, sport, or other classifications. While the sheer rate and commonality of athletes struggling with body image, eating, and exercise should be grounds for reducing the shame associated with the conditions, perhaps a stronger argument on the disutility of shame would prove more productive.

Secondary to the secrecy and imprisonment of shame, shame prevents a sufferer from healing. When shame is present, it is nearly impossible to acknowledge the full scope of a problem; the ache, self-loathing, and pain are too dire to face in the blinding terror of shame. However, when we refuse to be ashamed, we are able to see our struggles fully and clearly, accept where we are, and take prudent steps forward in a journey toward healing and becoming those we aim to be.

And finally, you do not owe anyone shame. You have no dues to pay. You have no account to settle. Let us free ourselves from any notion that shame will pay a debt we owe.

In sum, I hope we are able to take up the mantle against shame over disordered behaviors and thoughts around eating, exercise, and body image. These behaviors and thoughts are common. Yet, they are changeable, so long as we disarm shame of its power. 

Reach out to the Athletic Counseling Team, your athletic trainer, your team dietitian, or your team physician if you struggle with shame over body image, eating, or exercising. No struggle is too large, too small, too insurmountable. You are worthy of healing.

Take a look at U-M swim & dive alumna Kally’s story about dealing with eating and body image.

Local U-M Resources

Athletic Counseling Team

U-M Performance Nutrition

U-M CAPS

U-M Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program

National Resources

NEDA

Stanford Female Athlete Science and Translational Research (FASTR) Program

McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center (Victory Program for Athletes)

Opal Food & Body

About the Author

Erin is a ten-time Big Ten Individual Champion, four time NCAA runner-up, and Big Ten Medal of Honor winner in cross country and track at Michigan. She completed her eligibility in 2019 and went on to University of Michigan Medical School. She is now a first year resident in Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is passionate about neurology, running, and promoting an environment where food and exercise are recognized for the power, energy, joy they can produce rather than the way they make someone look.

Understanding NIL and Well-Being

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By Dylan Steele, U-M Cheer

As a student-athlete at the University of Michigan I quickly learned that name, image, and likeness (NIL) is shaping the world of college athletics today. Several businesses are beginning to see the value in creating NIL sponsorship opportunities with student-athletes due to an NCAA rule change in June 2021. The initial ruling that consisted of four sentences was confusing not only to myself and other student-athletes, but to athletic departments, businesses, and fans as well. As a result, common misconceptions arose as to what NIL really was and the benefits and additional responsibilities student-athletes have in this new world of college athletics. So what even is NIL and how do student-athletes profit off their name, image, and likeness?

Dylan’s conceptualization of the NIL structure

Several student-athletes, including me, were under the idea that simply being on a college athletic team would ensure NIL dollars coming to us without any work on our end, but that simply isn’t the case. NIL is a branch of influencer marketing, which is not a completely new concept. This means the blueprint to success has already been implemented by social media influencers, it’s just only recently been legalized by the NCAA. With this new opportunity, student-athletes, very much like social media influencers, may now monetize their NIL for commercial purposes. Some examples I’ve seen are autograph signings, social media posts, commercial partnerships, or other appearances. Additionally, we as student-athletes are responsible for paying taxes on cash compensation or the value of products received, which came as a surprise to most of us, adding another layer of stress as we had to learn the best way to report our income, without a lot of direction since all student athletes were learning about this at the same time.

Our Athletic Department has since created tax/financial education sessions to ensure us athletes are aware of the responsibilities involved in an NIL deal and to help keep us from any trouble with the IRS. A Local Exchange has been set up through INFLCR to help connect Wolverine athletes with businesses. In addition, we can report our deals to Michigan through an app which also helps keep track of our tax information. The University has also set up a contract review program through the Law School to review the legality of deals to alleviate the stress some of us feel when negotiating deals and to ensure none of us are getting stuck in a binding deal that could be harmful to our brand in the long run.

It is also helpful for us as student-athletes to understand the social media presence NIL empowers us to have. We need to have a firm understanding of our values in order to maintain our public image as we represent not only our school but our personal social media brand. We must conduct our own research to ensure the brands we partner with have the same values and align with the image we are trying to build for ourselves. What’s important to me? Does this company/brand align with the image I’m creating for myself? We as athletes are role models to kids of all ages and have the pleasure and responsibility of being connected to our fans more than ever, which has a large impact on our communities and the next generation. Read more about navigating public criticism here.

The best piece of advice I can give is to become aware of and build skills around time management so you can accomplish what you want to, and have more time to yourself away from the stress

It is important to note that getting a deal done is not as easy as people may think. Businesses focus on the social media engagement of student-athletes before offering deals. This results in a new found responsibility for us to increase our social media engagement through content creation which is a lot harder than most realize. Social media already has some issues such as comparing yourself to others, but now the pressure is truly on to constantly be able to produce content that will gain constant engagement. Honestly, it can become like a full-time job for some which adds another task to our already busy schedule. As the mental health crisis continues in our country, it is imperative that we give student athletes the resources they need or not only be successful in this space from a business standpoint, but to prioritize their mental health through it all.  I can say first-hand when my day consists of early morning lifts, classes, study time, practices, and games, while trying to maintain proper performance, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep schedules, and taking care of myself to physically be able to compete at a high level for an entire athletic season, it can become hard to find time to work on meaningful independent brand building. The best piece of advice I can give is to become aware of and build skills around time management so you can accomplish what you want to, and have more time to yourself away from the stress of your sport, classes, or anything pertaining to the world of NIL. 

As you can see, NIL is a complicated topic. Laws and NCAA regulations have slowly been adjusted to provide more clarity as NIL continues to evolve. NIL is a step in the right direction for college athletics and creates new responsibilities for all parties involved. College athletics have forever changed as a result of NIL, and it is important to keep the best interest of student-athletes at heart, and to be mindful of how it can impact their mental health.  Athletic departments across the nation must continue to do their part in equipping student-athletes with the tools necessary for success not only in their sport, but in all aspects of the student athlete experience including NIL. You as an athlete also have an opportunity to keep your own best interests in mind by clarifying your own values and choosing partnerships and brands that promote those. You also have the chance to practice skills to benefit things like your time and stress management.

if you’re looking for assistance navigating NIL, here are some resources available to Michigan student-athletes:

NIL at U-M

INFLCR Exchange

Compliance: NIL Policy

If you’re experiencing difficulty with time management, are feeling overwhelmed, or want to explore your personal values, consider connecting with an Athletic Counselor.

About the Author

Dylan Steele is a senior student athlete on the cheer team at the University of Michigan studying sport management with minors in entrepreneurship and real estate development. He serves as the NIL/NCAA Legislation Executive Board Chair. He is a 2 time NCA National Champion.

Q&A: Gymnast Natalie Wojcik

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Athletes Connected caught up with women’s gymnastics national champion (2021), AAI award winner (2022), and Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Mental Health Liaison Natalie Wojcik. Natalie is a 5th-year senior in the School of Social Work and graduate intern with the Athletic Counseling Team. Natalie shares her academic and athletic journey and how she got involved in mental health initiatives at U-M.

The Athletes Connected program recognizes the many factors that may influence student-athlete mental health. As part of our Q&A series, Athletes Connected shares how coaches, administrators, athletic trainers, and other staff approach their roles in the lives of student-athlete health and well-being.

See our previous Q&A posts:

Q: What was your introduction to mental health?
A: I remember in high school science class we had a unit about the brain and a very brief introduction to psychology. I just remember thinking how cool it was to learn about the way our brains control our experience of life and I was really intrigued by that. It ultimately sparked my interest in pursuing a psychology major as one of my undergraduate majors.

Q: What made you want to go into social work for graduate school and pursue mental health even further through an internship with the athletic counseling team?
A: I think it’s a pretty natural progression for a lot of people who major in psychology to then go into social work. I felt like a lot of my classes in undergrad were focused on cognitive psychology, which was my favorite thing to learn about, but I also didn’t get as much of the social side of things. I wanted to learn more about systemic impacts on human experience in addition to the cognitive side of things, so I feel like my graduate degree coupled with my undergraduate degree helps give me a better understanding of the human experience. Also, as a student athlete myself, I’ve always been really passionate about student athlete mental health and that’s what led me to pursue an internship with athletics counseling.

Q: Since being at Michigan, how have those around you supported your mental health?
A: I think there’s kind of two sides to it. One, the resources that are available to me as an athlete have been really helpful. There isn’t just one way to go about taking care of your mental health here and I love all the options that are offered. And two, I feel like as a fifth year I’ve seen a significant decrease in the stigma surrounding mental health. I remember as a freshman, it was something that I didn’t hear get talked about very often and now I hardly go a day without having a conversation about mental health. So, it’s been really cool to see it become something that’s normalized and talked about and I think it makes seeking help or aid for mental health a lot easier.

I would say to intentionally prioritize your mental health. It’s going to look different for everyone. It’s something that you’re always going to have and is always going to be with you throughout your day, throughout your week, and throughout the rest of your life.

Q: How did you become a mental health liaison?
A: I joined SAAC my sophomore year and as a part of joining you’re required to join a subcommittee. I immediately knew that I wanted to join the Mental Health Subcommittee. It was something I was really interested in learning more about and getting hands-on experience with. After a couple of years in SAAC, I submitted an application to be one of the mental health chairs. We have two chairs because it’s a role that comes with a lot of responsibility, and so I’m a chair member alongside Clare McNamara where we’re in charge of the subcommittee, making us mental health liaisons.

Q: What are some of the goals that you and your fellow SAAC members have for mental health for the 2022-2023 year? Upcoming 2023-2024 year?
A: We’ve been working really hard again this year just to reduce the stigma. Something I really enjoyed this year was setting up a table at the volleyball mental health awareness game where we were able to pass out flyers and talk to people about what we do for mental health with SAAC. We also recently provided a QPR suicide prevention training for student-athletes. In addition to that, we’re trying to implement some events for student athletes that can serve as more of a mental health break as opposed to being informational. We’ve been working on finding some ways for student athletes to connect and talk about mental health in a more casual setting.
We’ve also been trying to do a board game night series at the AC where athletes can come and play games. We’re going to do a hot cocoa and coloring day as well as therapy dogs.

Q: What do you like to do to stay mentally well?
A: I think the biggest component of mental wellness for me is finding a balance between all the aspects of my life and doing my best to not get consumed by any one thing, whether it be school, athletics, work, or my personal life. I really try to take things as they come, have a very neutral sense of things, and intentionally schedule my day to make time for the things that I want to prioritize.

Q: In terms of performance, how do you get into a good headspace for competition?
A: I’m really big on visualization. I spend a good amount of time the night before competition as well as the day of visualizing routines. In addition to that, I use a lot of mental cues when competing, which kind of go hand in hand in helping me feel my best when going into meets.

Q: Having been a Michigan athlete for five years now, what piece of advice could you offer to current or future student-athletes?
A: That’s a tough one. I guess I would say to intentionally prioritize your mental health. While I wish it was something that came without work, it definitely requires putting in work whether that means finding personal balance, joining groups, meeting with the counselors, etc. It’s going to look different for everyone. It’s something that you’re always going to have and is always going to be with you throughout your day, throughout your week, and throughout the rest of your life.

Transitioning from Undergrad to Grad School as an Athlete

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By Alex Black, MSW 

The transition from undergrad to graduate school can be exciting as you start to focus on a curated skill set that will shape your future career path, but can also become challenging for various reasons, especially as a student-athlete. It is important to acknowledge that everyone has their own journey. Some of the changes that occur during the transition may be unanticipated and significant. Being aware of these changes as potential stressors can be helpful in preparing for, adapting and coping with them as they appear. 

Graduate school schedules could potentially include internships or research, in addition to classes, homework, continuous training, traveling, and competing as an athlete. Student-athletes may be required to make adjustments and begin exploring options to discover what works best for them to manage their time and responsibilities. They will be challenged to become more self-aware and move with intentionality. Thus, the importance of establishing a support system you can rely on, and budgeting time to accommodate for this new extension of work life.

Projected Adjustments:

Environment. The culture of professional schools can be more intense than what you experienced in undergrad. The environment that you will be spending the majority of your learning time in is significant, having the potential to influence your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  

Expectations. The responsibilities of graduate students are extensive. Fortunately, this experience will provide you with more opportunities to be mentored. Be prepared for your mentors to challenge you and hold you accountable. Additionally, the expectations set by yourself, professors, peers and employers will shift. Having conversations to create shared understanding about goals and expectations can help make your experience less stressful and more productive. Goals are essential to productivity, maximize on the opportunity to utilize and learn skills on goal setting.

Class structures. The amount of time that you are in class and the number of days that you have class may change drastically. The class sessions are typically longer, and the class sizes are often smaller depending on the amount of students in your program and/or cohort. Smaller class sizes enhance your ability to develop fruitful relationships with professors. Larger class sizes could provide students with the opportunity to network with classmates. Take advantage of the time and class sizes to create connections with your instructors and peers, and ask for help when you may need it. 

Social Norms. The schedules of graduate students are typically demanding and fluctuate often. As a result, some students may be less likely to engage in social activities and it might become harder to communicate with people outside of graduate school – don’t take it personally! It can still be helpful to try to connect with others outside of your sport to broaden your network.

Relationships. The relationship with school itself has the potential to change. Moreover, relationships between peers, professors, advisors, administrators, among others will shift. You will have the opportunity to determine and control the depth of each relationship you develop. 

Hannah George, Softball

Time Management. Student schedules will vary, but the demand of graduate school is definitely different from undergrad. While you still have a lot to balance, the good news is that you may find that you actually have more time to yourself depending on the length and format of the program.

Self-Motivation. The journey of completing an advanced degree has the potential to become lonely and overwhelming. You may find yourself suffering from imposter syndrome, but know that experiencing self-doubt is extremely common, especially among graduate students. You are not alone. You may also find increased motivation in a graduate program as you are now able to focus on courses and subjects that excite you. 

Student to Expert. You may feel challenged with discovering your specialty in graduate school. Throughout your time in the program, you will be tasked with assessing, understanding, and applying material to your practice. While it can feel stressful at times, it is also great practice preparing you for life after receiving your degrees. 

Just knowing and anticipating potential challenges can be helpful in preparing to cope, but there are also specific actions that can be beneficial during the transition.  

 

Suggestions

Do your research. Become curious, ask questions and move with intention. Look into connecting with individuals that have similar interests, experiences, goals and values. There may be other former or current student-athletes in your program as well. Try putting some effort into your experience and start to build your network both socially and professionally.

Advocate for yourself. You know your needs and wants. Become vocal and take control of your journey. Ask for help and communicate. You’re the expert on yourself.

Brad Robbins, Football

Cherish relationships with peers. Peers and classmates might have similar values, goals and intentions. The relationships developed have the potential to be more genuine and have more substance. They also may be your future colleagues or who you reach out to for professional help in the future. Everyone is there for one shared reason, which is to receive a degree and become an “expert” in their particular field. 

Build your own community. Graduate school requires you to become more intentional with building relationships. Moreover, many students are in different periods of their lives, so external responsibilities vary. Join a student organization that piques your interest and/or connect with faculty that have similar interests as you and can serve as mentors. 

Constantly reflect. Reflection is a great tool for growth and development. It provides you with the opportunity to gain understanding and learn more about yourself. 

 

While like any transition, the transition from undergrad to graduate school has the potential to be stressful, there is so much opportunity for growth and skill development. Making your well-being a priority as much as your academic and athletic pursuits will continue to be important through the transition and beyond.

Support & Resources

Athletic Counseling

Michigan Athletics Career Center (MACC)

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Student athlete groups (Athlete Ally, Women Uplifting Women, Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Intercollegiate Athlete Network (IAN), Athletes in Action)

Maize Pages (Clubs & Student Orgs)

Leadership Development

About the Author

Alex Black is an MSW Intern for the U-M Athletic Counseling Team. He is originally from Los Angeles, CA, where he grew up playing basketball, baseball and football. Alex graduated from Morehouse College in 2020 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration. After graduating, he joined the Alliance of Social Workers in Sport (ASWIS) as an intern and received his Sport Social Work Certification, during which time he interned with the LA Dodgers Foundation. He completed his MSW from U-M in December of 2022.