Sports & Mental Health Workshop: Stress & Healthy Coping Strategies

The Athletics and Counseling Departments at Mount Pisgah Christian School partnered to host a series of Sports and Mental Health Workshops for MPCS Upper School students. On Thursday, December 7, the first of three planned workshops for this school year was held. Session one dove into the importance of stress management and healthy coping strategies for student athletes.

 

After a brief lunch, the students and faculty in attendance were treated to an insightful and interactive presentation by Jessica Moore (Mental Health & Performance Coach with UGA Athletics) and Vanessa Chambers (Mental Health Counselor with Manna Treatment). Using a mixture of group discussions and activities, the two presenters highlighted the significance of identifying, managing and eliminating stress. “Stress can bleed over into all areas (of our lives)” said Chambers. “It can affect our performances as an athlete, as a student and at home.” 

 

Sports can be unpredictable and chaotic, which often results in stress for an athlete. As difficult as it may seem, in a stressful moment, an athlete needs to shift their focus onto things that they can control as opposed to the things that they can't. 

 

To help with this, the students walked through the process of setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals related to their family, academics, and athletics. These goals can help an athlete focus on taking the next step forward rather than focusing on a misstep in the past. 

 

During the closing Q&A, both Moore and Chambers answered the students' questions and provided advice for those who sought to play sports in college. They encouraged those students to know which (mental health) resources are available at your school, within your athletic program, or in the local area.

 

We are looking forward to hosting our students for the two remaining Sports and Mental Health Workshops later this year.