Missouri Southern State University’s Athletics Department and the Ozark Center, a unit of Freeman Health, have established a partnership to deliver specialized mental health resources to student-athletes. This new collaboration aims to provide skills and support for athletes to thrive in various environments, offering counseling services, performance support, and educational programming. The partnership emphasizes a commitment to athlete mental health, making resources readily available to student-athletes on campus.
Student-athletes often face unique pressures, including demanding schedules that require balancing academic responsibilities, athletic commitments, and personal lives. This constant juggling can become overwhelming, frequently leaving little time for self-care. The intense demands often lead athletes to postpone addressing their mental health needs or to avoid speaking up about personal struggles, particularly when they feel their performance in their sport is sufficient.
The partnership with the Ozark Center prioritizes these specific challenges. It ensures that MSSU athletes now have immediate access to comprehensive mental health resources, bypassing typical obstacles that might otherwise complicate seeking help. This direct access is designed to support athletes in managing the pressures of their demanding lives.
A common challenge in mental health is the stigma surrounding it, which can cause individuals to conform rather than disclose their struggles. One anonymous MSSU student-athlete described being "at my worst mentally but performing well enough" to avoid acknowledging a struggle. Another anonymous student-athlete shared feelings of "embarrassment," adding they "didn’t want someone to know the struggles I go through."
Gavyn Elkmail, a senior guard for the MSSU Lions Men’s Basketball Team, acknowledged the difficulty of balancing academic work with athletic demands. He noted that when athletes integrate their sport into their identity, underperformance "can really take a toll." Many athletes dedicate their lives from a young age to perfecting their sport, which can lead to identities centered more on public athletic personas than on internal well-being. The Ozark Center's initiative encourages all athletes to find grounding methods and reconnect with their true selves. For Elkmail, coaching provides this balance, helping him "pour into something other than being an athlete" and to "find that balance between life and athletics."
Ultimately, the collaboration between the Ozark Center and MSSU Athletics aims to ensure that student-athletes receive the necessary support and resources to care for their mental health, preventing them from feeling isolated in their struggles. This initiative underscores a commitment to the holistic well-being of the university's athletic community.
