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Mental Wellness for the Team Behind the Team

TrueSport Hosts Third Annual Symposium

 

Mental health in sports has been brought into the light by many courageous athletes in recent years. Their moving stories and heartening message that “it’s O.K. to not be O.K.” have inspired millions around the world and have changed the narrative around mental wellness.

But what about the team behind the team? Much like athletes, today’s coaches face increasing pressures to perform 24/7. Studies have shown that mental health is a critical concern for coaches, and a roster of unique pressures is leading to increasing stress levels, mental exhaustion, and burnout. This reality makes it essential that coaches put on their own mental health “oxygen mask” first if they hope to support athlete mental wellness. This intervention is especially important as we quickly approach the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France.

TrueSport Talks: Mental Wellness and the Modern Coach.With all of this in mind, TrueSport, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) youth sports outreach program, hosted its third annual TrueSport Talks symposium this week, with a focus on “Mental Wellness and the Modern Coach.” The event built off of the actionable takeaways and evidence-based recommendations from Mental Wellness and the Young Athlete in 2021 and Mental Wellness and the Student-Athlete in 2022. This year, the event was streamed live via NBC Sports Next’s newly launched SportsEngine Play streaming platform.

“Good coaches are such a gift to athletes and sport, but it’s not an easy job and they need support,” said event emcee Kara Winger, 2022 World Athletics Championships silver medalist, North American record holder in javelin, and flag bearer at the Tokyo Olympic Games. “This event showed us all how to prioritize mental wellness for coaches and I’m incredibly hopeful that progress will continue.”

Hosted at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum, in collaboration with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and NBC Sports Next, with support from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, this event featured nationally recognized experts, coaches, and athletes, including:

  • Joe Delagrave, PLY – USA Wheelchair Rugby Head Coach and two-time Paralympic medalist
  • Jessica Bartley, PsyD – Senior Director of Psychological Services at the USOPC
  • Kevin Chapman, PhD – Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the founder of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders
  • Alexander Cohen, PhD – Senior Sport Psychological Services Provider at the USOPC
  • Lesley Irvine – Vice President and Director of Athletics at Colorado College

A panel of speakers at the 2023 TrueSport Talks Sympoisum on Mental Wellness and the Modern Coach.

The event began with one simple question: Why does coach mental health matter? As national statistics and stories continue to unveil the scope of the national mental health crisis, sport must own its part in the problem, evolve to champion meaningful change, and implement proactive solutions that allow coaches to prioritize themselves to better serve others.

“Having been on both sides of the coach-athlete coin, I can promise you that investing in mental health is worth it,” reflected Delagrave. “I never thought my life would take the turn that it did, and I could’ve gone down a really dark path. But thanks to faith, a strong inner circle, and discipline, I was able to get to where I am today. And I sincerely hope that’s the case for every single athlete and every single coach, no matter their story.”

Jay Harrison speaking at the 2023 TrueSport Talks symposium on Mental Wellness and the Modern Coach.

Following the opening session, Delagrave and Irvine participated in a panel alongside sports leaders from across the country, including Geoff Kelly of Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, Jim Miller of USA Cycling, and Charron Sumler of The Ohio State University, to discuss how coaches can both “coach hard” and take care of themselves. Additionally, Dr. Cohen shared his insights as a psychological services provider on effective communication strategies that keep mental wellness in mind.

“The next Olympic cycle is upon us, and it will bring both physical and emotional challenges to athletes,” said Dr. Cohen. “We have to be ready to approach these issues head on, and that starts by ensuring coaches are mentally well and ready to support their athletes every step of the way.”

Alex Cohen speaking at the 2023 TrueSport Talks symposium on Mental Wellness and the Modern Coach.

The symposium concluded with breakout sessions led by field experts on how coaches can apply these principles in their everyday lives.

To ensure the next generation is prepared for their own journeys in mental wellness, TrueSport also invited several schools in the Pikes Peak region to our annual community event, “Mindset of a TrueSport Champion” on November 5. During this educational engagement, the NSCA and Children’s Hospital Colorado led attending student-athletes through the practice of building resiliency, with real-time implementation of mental wellness practices alongside several TrueSport Athlete Ambassadors and USADA Athlete Presenters, including:

  • Raymond Bunker: USA National Team Member – Wrestling
  • Tyler Carter, PLY: Three-time Paralympian – Para Alpine Ski
  • Steve Emt, PLY: Two-time Paralympian – Wheelchair Curling
  • Carissa Gump, OLY: 2008 Olympian – Weightlifting
  • Amobi Okugo: USA National Team Member – Soccer
  • Abby Raymond: USA National Team Member – Weightlifting
  • Aaron Scheidies, PLY: 2016 Paralympian – Para-Cycling
  • Sophia Vitas: 2024 Olympian – Rowing

“We were privileged and honored to bring together coaches, athletes, and industry experts to explore practical solutions that support the mental wellness of coaches,” said Dr. Jennifer Royer, Senior Director of TrueSport & Awareness at USADA. “Over the past two years, we’ve taken tremendous positive steps to support athlete mental health, and it’s important to remember that progress is impacted by every part of the sport community, including coach wellbeing. USADA and TrueSport will continue to support the mental health of the team, as well as the team behind the team, to ensure that sport delivers on its potential to grow thriving individuals and communities.”

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.