A program to deal with mental health issues in sports will be held 8 a.m. Monday at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.
The NFL Players Association and NFL are partnering with Cigna to host the event, which is titled, “Beyond the Physical: A Symposium on Mental Health in Sports.”
May is mental health awareness month. The Symposium is open to the public.
Atlanta Falcons senior director of player affairs Kevin Winston, wide receiver and Project 375 co-founder Brandon Marshall, former Falcons great Warrick Dunn as well as representatives from Active Minds, Mental Health America of Georgia and the American Psychological Association will participate.
Jeff Schultz, a columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. will serve on the media panel dealing with Mental Health Wellness. Schultz and his wife do a lot of work in the recovery community after his wrote a personal journey article about the battles of his son with addiction.
The forum will include a series of panels to raise awareness around mental health and promote a culture where everyone, including athletes, are encouraged to seek the help and support needed achieve overall wellness.
“May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the NFL is pleased to partner with the NFLPA and Cigna to increase awareness and decrease the stigma around mental health with “Beyond the Physical: A Symposium on Mental Health in Sports,” said Dwight Hollier, a former player and the NFL vice president of wellness and clinical services. “This effort is especially important in light of the messages young athletes receive about toughness and the need to be strong all the time. Through our discussions with caregivers, athletes, professionals and others, we will shine a light on mental health in sports and discuss ways to support athletes and others on the journey toward total wellness.”
Topics will range from managing the pressures of being a professional athlete, the mental health side of performance and programs available to the sports community.
"Too often in the world of sports, discussions about mental wellness happen during a point of crisis, or when it's too late," said Nyaka Niilampti, director of player wellness for the NFLPA. "However, we know that in order to excel athletically, mental health needs to have as much focus as physical health. We feel fortunate to be able to use the platform of sports to engage in this conversation, and the more dialogue we can spark to increase awareness and decrease stigma around mental health, the more positive change that we will see."
About the Author
