Can the mental health crisis for student-athletes be tempered?
College basketball players gain perspective and improve mental health entering national tournament.
As thousands of sports fans, students and alumni gear up for the biggest weeks in college athletics, coaches and their players know that their physical ability isn’t the only thing that will be tested on a national platform. Their mental toughness — including their ability to overcome challenges, cope with injuries, and face media scrutiny — will take center stage, as well. Amidst the pressure, over 40 of these men’s and women’s basketball teams across the NCAA’s three divisions will have a different type of teammate cheering them on, giving them valuable perspective during the biggest moments.
“We couldn’t have won a national championship without JP (Kansas’ Team IMPACT teammate),” noted Kansas men’s basketball Director of Operations Fred “Coach Q” Quartlebaum, referring to his program’s 2022 NCAA title.
That’s a mighty statement coming from one of the best teams in the country, but Coach Q isn’t alone in understanding the significance of the impression made on student-athletes by the Jayhawks’ participation in national nonprofit Team IMPACT.
Coach Kelvin Sampson, currently leading top-ranked University of Houston, said: “What Jace (Houston’s Team IMPACT teammate) has done for us, and what Team IMPACT can do for programs, is teach their (student-athletes) about life. Jace is one of us.”
Houston guard Emanual Sharpe echoed his coach’s sentiment, saying: “Having (Jace) there as a bright spot, it just helps us a lot.”
Team IMPACT originated from a hope that every kid, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to be a part of a team. Its two-year clinical program matches children with serious illness or disability with college sports teams across the country. Their vision? That these children feel like they belong to something other than their diagnosis; that they belong to a team. But as the organization grew over the past decade, it became obvious that the children were making as much, if not more of an impact, on the student-athletes they idolized.
In 2019, UConn men’s basketball guard Alterique Gilbert turned to his 6-year-old Team IMPACT teammate, Rylan, for support after suffering a season-ending injury.
Rylan sent him a text message that read: “We just keep going because that’s what we have to do.” The Huskies continued to include Rylan on the team throughout the years, citing his wise words and positive attitude that benefited everyone in the program. With the help of Team IMPACT, Rylan joined his teammates for their NCAA National Championship game last April. After the win, former player, and current Director of Player Development Mamadou Diarra reminded everyone: “Many will look at our run in the NCAA tournament and think it was nice that we included Rylan throughout the process, but the reality is, we needed Rylan just as much as we needed any player or coach on the team.”
At Team IMPACT, the thoughtful intake process and training for participating families and teams ensures that the relationships created are much more than a photo-op or high-five between child and athlete. Throughout its nearly 14-year history, Team IMPACT has matched more than 3,000 children at over 750 campuses in all 50 states. More than 80,000 student-athletes across dozens of sports have participated in the program and over the last five years, the organization has studied its effect on these athletes. The results mirrored the preceding anecdotes.
The recent study showed that 87% of student-athletes surveyed* said they personally felt more resilient after interacting with Team IMPACT. And an incredible 77% said they felt their mental well-being improved, too. That’s not by accident.
“Our society builds up athletes to be superhuman specimens, but we are just as fragile as anyone else — if not more,” said USC swimmer Paul Retterer, whose team welcomed a Team IMPACT teammate.
Team IMPACT’s student-athlete development team understands this notion, and in partnership with their clinical team, created a purposeful experience for these athletes that fosters empathy and elevates them as leaders in their community. The intentionality woven throughout every touchpoint of the program, from the moment a team applies through its two-year (and often longer) match with a child and family, creates a unique relationship between two groups that otherwise most likely would have never met.
Just last year, when Wisconsin women’s basketball star Avery LaBarbera missed an opportunity to send a game against Indiana into overtime, her Team IMPACT teammate, Emma, sent her an uplifting video immediately after the game. “This is a message for my teammate, Avery,” the video started. “I’m so proud to watch you today. I want you to know it’s okay. Sometimes we all have a tough time. You make me so happy. And I love being on your team.”
The message didn’t just lift Avery’s spirits. It also showed the progress being made by her 9-year-old teammate, who, before being matched with the Badgers through Team IMPACT, struggled with emotional connectivity to others.
Wisconsin head coach Marisa Moseley said the incident reflected the influence Team IMPACT has had on her team.
“Oftentimes, we get caught up in the wins and losses of things, but I believe Emma and her family came into our Badger family to remind us of the bigger impact that we can all have on people every single day,” Moseley said.
That sentiment has been typical for student-athletes on and off the court. In the same study* of Team IMPACT participants, 87% said they are more civic-minded because of their experience with the program. And 93% said it made them more aware of their ability to make a difference.
“It’s made me open my eyes and realize this is just so much bigger than basketball,” said Indiana forward Kiandra Browne, whose team was matched with Payton through Team IMPACT in 2022. Payton, who has an autoimmune illness called Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM), understood that her presence made an impression on her top-ranked teammates.
“I think they learn from me,” she said. “When they know I have infusions, I think they learn to be tough just like me.”
Montana assistant men’s basketball coach Joey Flores said that welcoming a Team IMPACT teammate is mutually beneficial.
“I truly feel like what we have given to (Team IMPACT teammate) Wyatt, we’ve probably gotten back tenfold,” he said. “This is my 11th year coaching college basketball and [Team IMPACT] is the best experience I’ve ever had.”
With over 1,000 active matches across dozens of college sports teams from basketball to football, lacrosse and more, thousands of student-athletes, and kids, are getting a chance to connect. So for those watching March Madness this year, liking the viral photos of spectacular dunks and hoisted trophies, and reveling in busted brackets, remember that one of the real victories for many of these student-athletes is what they’re learning from their Team IMPACT teammates, who you might not see on the sideline. But they’re there — in the stands, waiting in the locker room, watching from home — cheering on their role models, their teammates, and teaching them a thing or two along the way.
*Results were compiled from yearly surveys filled out by participating teams.
