As athletic departments navigate this time of uncertainty, Dr. Ketra L. Armstrong of the University of Michigan says attention to mental health for student-athletes, coaches and administrators must be a priority.
A former student-athlete, coach and administrator, Armstrong is now a professor of sport management and director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in Sport at the University of Michigan and understands how the suspension of competition has impacted everyone involved in intercollegiate athletics. When competitive sports came to a total stop in March, she says the initial reaction was shock, followed by denial and, eventually, acceptance and strategic planning.
“In between the stages of denial and acceptance were confusion, fear and depression,” says Armstrong, who is a faculty athletic representative at Michigan.
This helped shape her view that mental health awareness and support for everyone navigating this time of uncertainty is essential. She has seen people become more intentional in their actions and she’s impressed by the robust protocols Michigan has put in place to help student-athletes.
When the pandemic began, the Big Ten Conference faculty athletic representatives were meeting weekly. Now it is every other week. “In a moment of uncertainty it’s hard to put plans in place when you don’t know what you’re planning for,” Armstrong says. “What we’ve been trying to do is forecast and be proactive. What are the guardrails that we need to maintain to protect the academic integrity?”
They’ve looked at details such as what missing a class means when classes are online. If an institution is utilizing a pass/fail system rather than grades, how does that impact eligibility? Armstrong says she and fellow faculty athletic representatives have been continuously examining the entire nexus of elements that may impact the academic performance and the overall health and wellness of student-athletes.
In addition to conference meetings, Armstrong keeps in touch with faculty representatives for Michigan’s many sports as well as people connected to the academic success program.
