For Coaches

Partnering for Student-Athlete Mental Health

How high school and college coaches can partner with the University of Hamilton Center to support the mental and behavioral health of their student athletes — in an ongoing way, tied to the real demands of being a student and an athlete.

Student athletes face a mix of pressure that most other students don't — performance, injury, an identity tied to the sport, team dynamics, travel, and the weight of life after the jersey.

Mental health struggles in athletes often hide behind 'toughness' and show up as burnout, repeat injuries, or silence. Coaches usually see the signs first.

Schools don't have to build this alone. Hamilton Center brings the clinical, training, and community resources — so coaches can keep coaching.

Ways Hamilton Center Can Partner With Your Program

Choose one or combine several. Every partnership is shaped to your school, your level, and your season.

Embedded Behavioral Health Support

High School & College
What it is
A UH-connected counselor or clinician linked to your athletic department — for regular office hours, athlete check-ins, and a trusted point of referral.
Why it matters
Athletes open up faster to someone who knows the athletic world. Having one known, steady person lowers the barrier to asking for help.
What it looks like
Weekly on-site or virtual hours at the athletic facility, a warm hand-off pathway, and care that coordinates with your school counseling office.

Mental Health Training for Coaches & Staff

High School & College
What it is
Professional development that helps coaches and athletic staff recognize warning signs, talk about mental health, and know exactly where to send an athlete who needs more.
Why it matters
Coaches aren't expected to be therapists — but they are often the first adult an athlete trusts. Training gives them the right words and a clear next step.
What it looks like
Workshops grounded in the four Hamilton Center pillars — Professional, Respectful, Fair, and of Service — covering stigma, injury and identity, burnout, and referral.

The Thirteen Tools Leadership Curriculum

High School & College
What it is
A season-long cohort experience built on UH's Thirteen Tools course — helping athletes grow purpose, handle pressure, and build resilience through reflection.
Why it matters
Purpose and reflection are tied to better mental health and lower burnout. Athletes who can name why they play handle hard stretches better.
What it looks like
Short weekly modules the team works through together, reflection prompts tied to training and competition, and guided discussion led by a UH facilitator.

Crisis & Referral Pathway

High School & College
What it is
A clear, agreed-on plan for the hardest moments — coordination with 988, mobile crisis teams, after-hours support, and warm hand-offs to clinical care.
Why it matters
In a crisis, seconds and trust matter. A planned pathway means a coach never has to figure it out alone in the moment.
What it looks like
A one-page protocol, a named UH liaison, and staff walk-throughs so everyone knows the steps before they need them.

Peer Support & Community Building

High School & College
What it is
Train athlete peer mentors and connect your team to the UH student-athlete community — organized by sport, location, and level of play.
Why it matters
Belonging is medicine. Athletes who feel connected to a community are more protected from isolation, burnout, and despair.
What it looks like
Peer mentor training, belonging circles, and access to UH's student-athlete community platform and meetups.

Purpose & Health Assessment

College
What it is
UH's Purpose & Health research-backed assessment, offered to teams to measure wellbeing and purpose across a season — with de-identified insights shared back with the program.
Why it matters
What gets measured gets supported. Seeing how athletes are doing over time helps a program respond instead of react.
What it looks like
A confidential survey at the start and end of a season, a plain-language summary for coaches and athletic departments, and optional individual results for the athlete.

Athlete Mental Health Case Studies

High School & College
What it is
UH's three-tier (High School, College, Professional) mental health case study library — real-feeling stories about pressure, injury, burnout, stigma, body image, and life after the jersey.
Why it matters
Stories make it safe to talk. When an athlete sees their struggle in a case study, the door opens to a conversation and to help.
What it looks like
Team sessions built around selected case studies, with reflection prompts and a path to support — ready to drop into a team meeting.

Ongoing Consultation & Liaison

High School & College
What it is
A dedicated UH liaison for your program — quarterly reviews, adapting the partnership to each season, and someone to call when something comes up.
Why it matters
Mental health isn't a one-time talk. Ongoing partnership keeps support current as a team, a season, and a roster change.
What it looks like
A named contact, regular check-ins with coaching staff, and a partnership plan that grows with your program.

How to Get Started

Four simple steps. We meet you where you are.

1

Reach out using the form on our Partnerships page or email the Office of the Provost.

2

We'll set up a short call to learn about your program, your athletes, and what you're already doing.

3

Together we'll build a partnership plan — choosing the pathways above that fit your school, your level, and your season.

4

We launch, we stay in touch, and we adjust as your athletes' needs change.

Bring This to Your Team

Start a conversation about partnering with the University of Hamilton Center to support your student athletes' mental health.

Start a Partnership InquiryEmail Art Fuller

Crisis? Call or text 988, 24/7.

Get in Touch

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