CARDINAL MENTAL FITNESS COMMUNITY PAGE
(Written by Adam Prescott, Otterbein University Director of Athletic Communications)
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University Athletic Department recently concluded the inaugural semester of the Cardinal Mental Fitness Community, providing student-athletes a setting for conquering personal challenges, cultivating resilience and connecting with their inner potential.
This unique, game-changing, one-of-a-kind initiative into elevating mental fitness is not just a club, but rather a transformative journey crafted exclusively for the challenges and hurdles faced by today's student-athlete (or coach).
"What I've noticed is that athletes as a whole – whether it be youth, college or professionals – seem hungry to enhance their competencies related to performance psychology," said Dr. Greg Lott, director of athletics. "There has been enough popular press where developing one's mental game is increasingly valued. Since COVID, athletes have been talking more and more about mental health. There is data that shows student athletes are feeling like they have been struggling more and are finding it more challenging to navigate it all better. I've had numerous athletes come to me over the past few years wondering how to fix a certain issue."
DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION:
Lott, nearing the end of his first year overseeing the Athletic Department after being hired in the summer of 2023, generated the idea along with decade-long colleague Dr. Steve Graef. The two initially connected through a graduate sports psychology class that Lott was teaching while working on his PhD.
Graef, a licensed clinical psychologist and the creator of Mindurance, is a former Ohio State football player (linebacker) that has since dedicated his career to working with athletes on improving their mental health. Conversations regarding how they could reach a broad spectrum across the sports landscape, especially within the D-III space, began, and eventually formulated the Cardinal Mental Fitness Community after Lott transitioned from Denison…. where he'd been directing the Knetzer Family Institute for Development through Sport.
"I appreciate Otterbein's leadership for recognizing the importance of ongoing mental fitness," Graef said. "Not all athletic programs offer such valuable resources, so the community should be incredibly fortunate to have access to a resource that prioritizes holistic well-being and performance. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the first run and remain excited about its potential moving forward. The feedback was positive and it's evident there are solid building blocks in place to evolve."
The recent implementation at Otterbein consisted of an opening "kickoff" session in person for the entire department, featuring a thorough introduction from Lott and strong preview from Graef. It then transitioned to a virtual haven on Zoom, where members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee picked seven different topics to be addressed over the semester. Those points of focus became...
1 - Resilience
2 - Confidence
3 - Identifying your leadership definition/style
4 - Fostering team connection
5 - Addressing conflict on a team
6 - Tips for overcoming burnout
7 - Mental fitness for exam week
Student-athletes (or entire teams together in one sitting) then had the opportunity to sign up for the bi-weekly, compact, online sessions that lasted an hour. Members of the community then had access to recordings and content to deepen the engagement with each topic over time. Some coaches have picked a specific topic on which to focus with their team and have planned ways to continue to use the content from the Mental Fitness Community with their programs moving forward.
TESTIMONIALS:
"Mental health for student-athletes has always been a very important issue to me. As someone who struggled with such issues in the past, it's so amazing to see the university take initiative. Having Dr. Steve bring such fun and positive energy really set a tone. I think Otterbein is doing something unique and empowering for all their athletes." Annie Casper '25, volleyball
"I really enjoyed Dr. Graef's content, because it's relatable and keeps you engaged. He brings up interesting topics and gives insightful ways to strengthen mental health. I believe this program will be very beneficial to the Otterbein student-athlete population and allow us to have a space where we can take our mind off certain distractions or mental barriers." – Max Latkovski '25, baseball
"As a staff, we were very excited about the new program. Student-athletes today are more aware of mental health and more willing to share their own needs. This program gives us tools to guide young people to a healthier mindset - for participation in sport, competition and everyday life." – Brandon Koons, women's soccer head coach
MOVING FORWARD:
Lott and Graef plan to spend time refining the program (across the upcoming summer) through online feedback forms, in-house conversations and other general takeaways. The program has a vision of becoming slightly more robust and spanning the duration of a school year, with 10-12 quality sessions from the fall through end of spring.
"Programs like the Cardinal Mental Fitness Community take a little time to build," added Lott. "Some students jump in right away with energy and vigor, while others aren't so sure… and that's ok. I don't want this to feel like a mandatory, must-do type of thing. But more so, as a whole – everyone associated with Otterbein Athletics – we spend time being in tune with people's ability to navigate struggles...
"My hope is to normalize performance psychology as another piece of the toolkit," Lott continued with passion. "All of our kids get here and know about the need for technical work in their sport - cardio, time in the weight room, anything that goes into the physical part. SOME of them think that it's important to work on the mental side too. Everyone has different circumstances and a different path, so just simply offering this (and giving kids the opportunity) is a good foundation."
Otterbein currently offers 22 varsity intercollegiate sport programs after the recent addition of women's wrestling, while Esports is also gearing up to launch as a competitive club program in 2024-25. The Cardinals boast approximately 550 student-athletes all dedicating their time, efforts and energy into representing a unified department.
