Things You Should Know About LSU: Hope Grows Here
Student-athletes are recruited and arrive to campus with hopes of fresh starts, opportunities to excel, and an eagerness to be a champion. However, often buried just below the surface of this resilient and confident group are teens who are struggling to find their own identifies- both in and out of sport. They are finding it difficult to transition from high school schedules to the academic and athletic expectations of college. Some have packed and travelled with the trauma of growing up in and around violence, poverty, isolation, and hunger. And those with more idyllic upbringings may find struggle with separation from parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. Add to this the pressures associated with creating a thriving social identity in a world of isolation and loneliness. Even in the best of times, these challenges can all translate to an extraordinary amount of burden- and for some, mental health crisis.
In times of need, it’s important that you provide students with a safe and comfortable place to discuss their hardships, remain compassionate of their issues and needs, and refer students to the services and assistance they may require. It’s OK to listen without the need or expectation to respond. These skills alone begin to shape our culture and response to the ongoing demands of collegiate athletics. We ask not that you serve as the professionals but to put yourself in position to refer them to the people who can serve them best. There are an array of services to best support our students.
LSU is actively engaging our student-athletes on these issues and providing supportive care to those who seek mental health services. We continue to need your help in reminding student-athletes that they are not alone and that LSU Athletics has services embedded in Athletics that make seeking help convenient. Our Sport Psychology & Counseling (SPC) team is staffed with licensed mental health professionals who understand the unique challenges found within Athletics. Include them in your programs and provide them a platform to routinely discuss mental health. There is a world of research that speaks to value of talking about mental health and engaging in these difficult but important conversations. This support can provide strength and resilience in a world that can feel very overwhelming for so many. For additional department and campus resources go to the bottom of the Healthy Tiger Home Page.
We continue to build a championship culture filled with care & compassion. Forever LSU