Gators embrace mental health conversation
Last season’s college football season, filled with brutal isolation and uncertainty for the players, furthered a growing dialogue around mental health in college and professional athletics.
A number of collegiate athletes noted the toll COVID-19 restrictions took on their mental health, although these regulations were temporary, a permanent concern around emotional wellness took root in the Florida program.
“We're big, bad football players and that’s what the world tells us to be,” linebackers coach Christian Robinson said. “But a lot of the emotions that you feel are real and they apply to the game: the joy, the fame, the frustration.”
Robinson noted that Lacedrick Brunson elected to take last season off due to COVID concerns, and an increased focus on mental health evolved the way Robinson and other coaches interact with their players.
Understanding when to pull back and helping players work through off-field stressors has become a preferred alternative to pushing players to their breaking point.
National conversations around social justice also resonated with the Gators roster and sparked team-wide discussions about how these movements and issues affected the players.
“A lot of social injustice issues last year that have been coming to the forefront. That can be traumatizing for young men in trying to define what life is supposed to look like, especially a lot of our players of color.”
On a personal level, players stressed the importance of personal development and willingness for coaches to discuss on-and-off field players.
DaQuan Newkirk, an incoming transfer from Auburn, highlighted his close relationship with Coach Wesley McGriff and how this influenced his decision to transfer to Florida.
“I love Coach Crime (Wesley McGriff),” Newkirk said. “He’s always a high-energy guy and we always talk about life. Every time I came to Coach Crime, it wasn’t about football; it was always like he always put those good talks in my head and we just talked about life, honestly, and he helped me out with a lot of things.”
The all-encompassing nature of social media also influences how coaches interact with their players, and understanding how to use and digest social media responsibly is vital for mental health.
While Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms expose players to vitriolic hate and abuse, they also provide an outlet for players to express themselves off the field.
“When you get to share a piece of who you are with social media you find out you might not be the only one and people are drawn to you,'' Robinson said. That's what I think the best thing about social media and teaching them these things is that you can show a slice of your life."
Florida’s players have also begun to embrace more inclusive philosophies about physical fitness and maintenance that don’t always align with the “rough and tumble” nature of football.
Gervon Dexter cited his work on the yoga mat with coach David Turner’s wife, a yogi, and how Pilates gifted him a new outlook on athleticism.
“I kind of started doing a little yoga with Coach Turner’s wife,” Dexter said. “Coming into college, you don’t know. Like, you think, ‘oh, you look good.' You’re just big. You don’t really know. I feel like just preparing and seeing, like, ‘Oh, this is what needs to be done,’ just helped me a lot.”