FREELAND, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athlete Association (MIAA) has partnered with Athlete Minds Matter to help support and promote the mental health and wellbeing of our student-athletes.
The MIAA is proud to be the first conference to partner with Athlete Minds Matter. The league is committed to helping its student-athletes prioritize mental health and reduce the stigma associated with it. Taking care of one's mental health and wellness is extremely important, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and a time of social unrest.
"Nearly a year ago the MIAA hosted a conference wide mental health symposium and committed that day to work to end the stigma of mental health and offer programming for our student-athletes," stated MIAA Commissioner Penny Allen-Cook. "Partnering with Ivy Watts' Athlete Minds Matter will continue to demonstrate this commitment. It is more important than ever that we give our student-athletes tools to help them through these difficult times."
In February 2020, the MIAA's mental health symposium brought together administrators, athletic trainers, and campus health and wellness staff. The event featured educational opportunities and featured speakers, discussions surrounding mental health on campuses, and best practices. Student-athletes not only deal with the daily stressors of the classroom, but also the demanding tasks that come with being an athlete. The MIAA recognizes the struggle that athletes may be going through and is dedicated to providing the necessary help and resources to support and destigmatize mental health in athletics.
Athlete Minds Matter, founded by mental health empowerment speaker and former student-athlete Ivy Watts, is an all-in-one interactive mental health platform, aimed to help student-athletes build their mental wellness toolkit for success both on and off the field.
"The conversation around mental health is such an incredibly important topic in athletics," commented Ivy Watts, "especially in these challenging times. I am so grateful that the MIAA has partnered with Athlete Minds Matter to provide a much-needed resource for mental wellness for their student-athletes. As a former student-athlete who struggled with my mental health, having a resource such as this would have been beneficial for me to feel less alone, learn to love myself, and work through the anxiety and depression I was feeling. Through this partnership, we are breaking away at the stigma that exists and empowering more student-athletes to practice self-care and mental wellness and to get the help they need. The MIAA is continuously communicating a message to their student-athletes that they value the mental health of their student-athletes, and Athlete Minds Matter is grateful to be part of the MIAA's continuous message. We aim to help athletes develop tools that carry them across them athletic career and beyond through this hands on mental wellness platform."
Student-athletes will have access to the following:
- Stories from current and former student-athletes who are openly sharing their mental health struggle.
- Over 100 journal prompts that will provide student-athletes with tools to reflect and grow in areas such as performance anxiety, confidence building, self-love, gratitude, and so much more. Journals can be saved and referred back to in the future in their own personal account.
- A support forum to connect with other student-athletes for advice and support.
- Resources on how to help others, how to recognize warning signs, hands on tools for self-care and working through anxiety, how to stay motivated, how to find a therapist, and much more.
- Access to monthly yoga and meditation sessions designed specifically for athletes
- A Campus Champion that will help raise awareness around mental wellness at each school and run monthly challenges for enrollment and self-care. Get involved in the challenges and win prizes!
Enroll for Athlete Minds Matter with your school email TODAY!
Interested in becoming a Campus Champion? Fill out this form and email it to saprogramming@miaa.org.
