It has been quite a ride for Kevin Warren, the new commissioner of the Big Ten, since taking over full time for the retired Jim Delaney at the beginning of the year. Warren could not have expected to be battling a global pandemic, but that has not stopped the conference from moving forward and putting the student-athletes at the forefront of their minds.
Yesterday, the Big Ten along with Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins, announced a partnership in the battle against the mental health and wellness of their athletic student body. There will be 2 representatives from each school that will form a Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet to assist the student-athletes with anything they may need.
The Big Ten Mental Health and Wellness Cabinet, comprised of industry leaders from every Big Ten institution as well as sport affiliate members Johns Hopkins and Notre Dame, will take a comprehensive, holistic approach to establishing mental health programs. #MentalHealthMonth pic.twitter.com/Qh8t4ErJIN
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) May 4, 2020
In addition to the added focus on their mental well-being, student-athletes, coaches, full time members of athletic departments and conference staff members will be given free access to the Calm app.
It has been a recent development for athletes to come out and speak about their mental health issues. These issues could affect anyone and by joining forces with the Big Ten and Johns Hopkins it is a move in the right direction. Having extra support for student-athletes is a huge step forward, just because they are in the limelight doesn’t mean they don’t go through tough times.
In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, the Big Ten Conference is pleased to announce a pair of mental health initiatives. #MentalHealthMonth #NotAlone
Full Release: https://t.co/NQZbpGyc8f pic.twitter.com/G76apoY900
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) May 4, 2020
It seems very fitting for all parties to announce these plans now, as May is Mental Health Month. This gesture by the 16 schools involved is a step forward in battling mental health issues on college campuses.