Addressing Mental Health in College Athletics: Developing a Mindfulness-Centered Curricular Intervention for Student-Athletes and Coaches
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Rising rates of mental health concerns among collegiate student-athletes have intensified calls for a more holistic approach to athlete development and well-being. While student-athletes regularly interact with coaches and educators, few curricular interventions explicitly address mental and emotional wellness in the athletic context. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the development, implementation, and perceived impact of a mindfulness-centered approach and curriculum. This curriculum is designed explicitly for collegiate student-athletes and coaches. Grounded in mindfulness-based pedagogy, the curriculum addressed stress management, emotion regulation, interpersonal relationships, performance anxiety, and personal growth. Using a multi-tiered qualitative design, data were collected through lived experiences, semi-structured interviews with student-athletes and coaches who engage in mindfulness practices, and journal entries. An autoethnographic component, documenting the researcher’s self-reflection as both instructor and coach, adds to the lived experiences. Data were analyzed using iterative coding and thematic analysis to identify patterns across participants and data sources. Findings suggest that mindfulness-based practices support student-athletes in managing stress, enhancing self-awareness, improving the coach-athlete dyad, fostering a positive team culture, and constructively reframing their athletic experiences. The study contributes to the literature on mental health in collegiate athletics by offering a mindfulness-centered, curriculum-based approach to athlete well-being, with implications for coaching practice, institutional programming, and holistic athlete development.
Author: Lampman, Douglas W
Institution: University at Albany, State University of New York
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7164618871