from the USC Sport Psychology clinical team
“Maximizing Your Performance as the Parent of a Division I Student Athlete” is a program offered during Student Athlete Orientation a few days after August move-in day each year. We have outlined a few of the issues discussed in this seminar for the website, but encourage you to attend if you are the parent of a freshman (or if you missed it when your adult child started as a freshman, feel free to join us as well).
Basic Philosophy
- The more healthy you are as a whole person, the more consistently you will perform.
- The more you prepare to cope with life factors, the better you will be able to manage your life and adversity.
Why a student-athlete might seek Sport Psychology services:
reason #1 — they’re human
College athletes might seek services for the same reasons many college students may need support—anxiety, depression, self improvement, eating problems, homesickness, relationship concerns (roommates, intimate partners, family members, etc.), identity issues, academic problems, substance abuse, loneliness, grief and loss.
reason #2 — they’re managing unique pressures
College athletes also face unique environments, challenges, and pressures. Sports psychology can provide support to help manage and improve sport-related areas—improved performance in competition, improved relationships with coaches, managing pressures and expectations, being a better teammate and leader.
Healthy Boundaries at the Collegiate Level
- Student athlete is and will be treated as an independent ADULT by everyone on campus, and all athletic department staff. They will be expected to advocate for themselves on all matters.
- Don’t plan on making calls to professors and staff unless there is a true emergency.
- Know your resources and then coach your ADULT child to speak appropriately with staff themselves.
- If you are not sure about the approach, call the Sport Psychology team for help.
Ways to help your student cope
It is normal to become overwhelmed in a high pressure environment. If students can acknowledge this and see stress as a surmountable challenge, they are more likely to employ healthy coping strategies.
Coping —
- Requires that they do something
- Is to help them feel better right now
- Is something we do while we await insight, which tends to follow much later.
Signs you might want to suggest your student seek Sport Psychology support
- A change in mood, behaviors, or physical symptoms
- Withdrawal or isolation
- Increase use of substances
- Decrease in functioning, namely mood is impacting academics, athletics, and/or social functioning daily or more days than not
- Suicidality: call immediately (213-740-9355, ask for Sport Psychology and say you are calling about a student-athlete) if you hear any direct or indirect references to suicide
Information on this page is adapted from and provided by Dr. Robin Scholefield, Director of Sport Psychology; Counseling and Mental Health Services of USC Student Health; clinical faculty, Keck School of Medicine of USC Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences.