With the commitment of Division 1 athletics, balancing academics, social life and more, student athletes are sometimes in need of extra support. For this reason, Sacred Heart University has its Student Athlete Support Services center located on the second floor of the William H. Pitt Athletic and Convocation Center.
“We offer a variety of services to our student athletes,” said Megan Wessely, Student Athlete Support Services Coordinator. “Our staff offers weekly one-on-one academic meetings, a book-borrowing library, study hall hours, tutors, events and more.”
SHU supports the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NCAA) approach to the holistic student athlete model.
“Our department and staff members place emphasis on continuing to foster an atmosphere for academic success and career preparation but embraces all aspects of the holistic model for all student athletes,” said Jack Pinho, Assistant Athletics Director for Student Athlete Support Services.
The NCAA regards the holistic student athlete model as career development programming, academic support and access to mental health support.
Athletics, in conjunction with the Maureen Hamilton Wellness Center, has a designated mental health counselor for student athletes.
“Athletes are strong, but sometimes it’s hard to remain strong in certain scenarios, such as on the field or court,” said Athletics Counselor Elizabeth Lavin. “By utilizing mental health resources of campus, we can help student athletes manage the personal stressors going on in their lives and learn how to compartmentalize it to not affect their performance.”
As a former NCAA athlete, Lavin has an understanding of what students may be going through.
“I try to use my experience of being a former athlete to connect with students and create a comfortable environment to discuss what they might be struggling with,” Lavin said.
To try and create this environment, there is full confidentiality for any student that speaks to her. The first session is an intake session where Lavin explains the importance of counseling and rights the student has.
“I really emphasize confidentiality in this introduction since I do believe being a student athlete, you are sometimes under a microscope of what you’re doing,” said Lavin. “What is discussed in our session stays in our session, unless I feel there is a risk of the student harming themselves or another person.”
The respective students’ team is held to the same standard, with Lavin always telling her patients that they are allowed to tell their coach they are seeing her, but she’ll never say anything to them, even if the coach asks.
Lavin spoke specifically about time management, which is a common stressor for student athletes.
“I often have conversations with these students on how to best manage their stress around their schedules as well as learn strategies on how to prioritize things in their schedules,” said Lavin. “The topic of ‘choice’ comes into play in these conversations you choose to spend more time studying anatomy over chem, you choose whether to spend free time studying or going to Chipotle, you choose to show up to practice even though you’re exhausted. It’s a tough reality, but the awareness of choice can be powerful when it comes to managing your time.”
Senior Hunter Harris, a member of the Division 1 Track and Field team, deals with the stress of time management that Lavin mentioned.
“For me personally, I know that balancing nursing school, being in a fraternity, and being the captain of a division one team is all very taxing mentally. I feel that most of my teammates at some point have felt the stress of being a student amplified at times from athletics,” said Harris. “However, athletics is truly a gift that can take someone’s mind away from typical stressors and be a perfect outlet to reassess emotions and benefit mentality.”
Harris recommended that everyone seek help whenever necessary.
“Having that extra level of support, especially with some people being far from home, can go a long way for college students,” he said. “Ensuring that you’re getting the help you need can only be beneficial for you, and it’s helped me so much, and I know it’s helped a lot of athletes so much as well.”
Student athletes can schedule an appointment for free by emailing athelticscounseling@sacredheart.edu or by calling 203-371-7955.
