Student-athletes face a variety of stressors and are at risk for mental health issues, particularly with "name, image, and likeness" issues creating new pressures and distractions. This article outlines a leadership development program geared toward student-athletes and the enrichment of their mental health. The cocurricular content…

Leadership development is a crucial component of higher education, particularly in the context of varsity athletics. This study explores the influence of the Medallion Leadership Program on student-athlete leadership development at the University of Rochester, focusing on their self-reported experiences through reflective essays. This study…

Across sports, there has been a dramatic shift toward earlier and more frequent specialization, leading to a decrease in multi-sport athletes at the high school level. A student-athlete may be able to participate in three high school sports, however it likely precludes them from devoting enough time to a primary, future college sport. The…

Two significant events in the last decade, #concernedstudents1950 at the University of Missouri and the George Floyd murder, have galvanized student-athlete activism, particularly Black student-athlete activism. Framed in Critical Race Theory (CRT), this article examines contemporary Black student-athlete activism and how their activism is…

This conceptual work synthesizes the experiences of Black men who are collegiate athletes and introduces new theoretical considerations on the formation of their leadership identities in predominantly white institutions. This scholarship focuses on historical understandings of how race and gender influenced the creation of the current Black man in…

The current article describes recommendations for identifying and developing referral sources for student-athletes seeking counseling services. A Counseling Center at a northeastern state university collected data from student-athletes presenting for mental health services about who referred them and what sport they played. Findings indicated a…

In 2016, an NCAA multidisciplinary task force published a consensus document outlining best practices for addressing student-athletes mental wellness. However, despite their recommendations and the growing development of mental health services for college student-athletes, no published literature exists reviewing the existing models of collegiate…

In 2015, 65 universities in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I autonomous conferences changed their scholarship policy by allowing universities to give student-athletes cost of attendance stipends. While student-athletes welcomed this policy change, many people within the higher education community felt the policy change…

Historically, there have been many instances where Black student-athletes utilized activism to be change agents within athletics and the broader society. This article utilizes Harry Edward's four waves of Black athlete activism as historical context for legal and political activism as contemporary and future protest strategies among Black…

There is still much to be understood about the intersections of race and gender and how Black women student-athletes experience and navigate various academic and classroom environments and situations, particularly at predominantly White institutions. Using critical race feminism and narrative inquiry, this study unpacked the academic experiences…

From the chaos of 2020 arose many social conversations, among which were the legal rights of gay and transgender Americans. Landmark cases established precedents for potential legislation and reform regarding the transgender community. One particular issue is that of transgender athletes in college sports. While many are in staunch opposition to a…

The authors focus on using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a lens through which to analyze the holistic welfare development of Black male student-athletes, namely their identity development and overall college and career readiness. The authors contend that if structured and delivered well with the appropriate supports, athletics can be more of a…

Student athletes' demands increase their risk for experiencing mental health concerns (Ryan et al., 2018). Risk factors for student athletes include coping with athletic success and failure; balancing dual roles; dealing with identity confusion; and experiencing isolation, injury, career termination, and burnout (Beauchemin, 2012; G. T. Brown,…

With heightened national attention placed on race and gender identity, the ability and preparedness of students to engage in critical conversations on such topics and with diverse groups is of much concern to educators. High school student-athletes are frequently thrust into the spotlight on topics related to race and racial identity, due to their…

This paper explores the future of college student mental health from students' perspective. The authors of this manuscript are four undergraduate and graduate students from two different universities. In the context of growing demand and intensity of mental health issues and the increased diversity of student identities on college campuses, the…