Big Sky to Host Second Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Symposium
The Big Sky Conference will host the second annual Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Symposium on the campus of Southern Utah University.
The symposium, held in conjunction with the league's annual spring meetings, will take place on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Smith Center Theatre in Cedar City, Utah. It is open to all college and high school administrators, as well as coaches and counselors.
This year's symposium will feature presentations from the "You Can Play Project"
and "Athletes Connected."
"Our inaugural symposium last year in Grand Forks was very well received across the league,'' said Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton.
“The NCAA and conferences have really begun to focus on improving the mental health of our student-athletes. We're excited to have these two organizations speak to our university presidents, administrators, coaches and student-athlete representatives. They can hear ideas, gather information, and take them back to their campuses.''
Former Weber State and NFL football player Wade Davis is the executive director of the "You Can Play Project,'' and will be a featured speaker. The "You Can Play Project" is an organization dedicated to ending discrimination, sexism and homophobia in sports. Davis works to develop curriculum, programming, training and conversations that are focused on inclusion and diversity. The "You Can Play Project" has partnerships with sports organizations such as the NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, MLS.
"Athletes Connected" is a unique collaboration between the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Depression Center and Athletic Department and aims to change the culture regarding the mental health and well-being of student-athletes.
Former Michigan football player William Heininger, University of Michigan Athletics Counselor Barb Hansen, and Kally Faye, a former swimmer for the University of Michigan will speak.
"They will be there to talk about ideas, and brainstorm ways to create platforms on campus to address the unique mental health issues that our student-athletes face,'' said Big Sky Conference Associate Commissioner Jaynee Nadolski. "They'll have a chance to talk with our Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) members face-to-face to discuss the various issues they deal with on their campuses.''
The symposium is being sponsored by the NCAA Sports Science Institute.
"We are thrilled that the NCAA agreed to sponsor our event," said Nadolski. "They are very excited with the programming we are offering this year as it highlights many of the issues the Sports Science Institute has been working on."
Athletes Connected Informatoin