Colorado College (CC) Athletics and Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) are excited to announce a pilot partnership designed to identify and support the mental health and wellness needs of CC's student-athletes. 
 
"Mental health and well-being are critical issues facing students across the country and we believe this innovative partnership will help us learn new ways of supporting not just our athletes, but all students at Colorado College," said CC's Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine.
 
Children's Colorado's evidence-based resiliency program has been used widely throughout Colorado Springs over the past three years. Outcomes studied in elementary and middle-school aged kids have included a reduction in anxiety, depression and negative emotions and an improvement in resiliency, efficacy, and positive emotions.
 
This newest collaboration will be implemented and overseen by the CC sport performance program. It will use the framework of the Children's Colorado resiliency programs and utilize the same evidence-based assessment that is used in Children's Colorado's resiliency program, which will be administered with CC's student-athletes, allowing medical leaders from the athletic department and hospital to determine proactive programming based on team needs. Follow-up care will then be implemented by CC.
 
"We know that physical, mental and emotional health are all inter-related and that this program will address mental health in an integrated manner," CC's Associate Athletic Director for Sport Performance and Wellness Rich Bennett said. "Just as over-training can cause a higher risk of physical injury, mental stress and overload have similar impacts and we are striving for a balance that allows our student-athletes to succeed on and off the field of play."
 
"Our resiliency program, initially piloted and launched right here in Colorado Springs, has been nationally recognized in numerous evidence-based medical journals for its innovative approach to mental health and well-being," said Margaret Sabin, strategic advisor and past president for Children's Colorado's Southern Region. "CC will be the first to leverage its leadership in this area to the benefit of collegiate student-athletes. We believe, in time, this program will be considered best-in-class not only for student-athletes, but for any student facing the pressures of college."