General | 10/26/2020 9:51:53 AM
The Empire 8 is proud to announce two sessions with nationally-reknowned speaker Ivy Watts on Mental Health Empowerment for Empire 8 student-athletes and athletic staff members.
Watts kicks off Empire 8’s inaugural Virtual Student-Athlete Leadership Series on Oct. 28. The goal of the virtual programming is to enhance student-athletes' skills beyond their sports, focusing on topics that complement their athletic and academic pursuits as the conference prepares them to be “Tomorrow’s Leaders.”
Watts, a former student-athlete at the University of New Haven, graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a top 30 finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, struggled daily with anxiety, self-worth and depression. After seeking help, Watts, who is Mental Health First Aid Certified, promotes mental wellness and reduces stigma around mental illness by sharing her story through public speaking and her blog,
Beautifully Simply You. Watts empowers others to speak their truths, know that they are not alone, learn the beauty of self-love and find strength to keep fighting for their tomorrows.
“The virtual series allows us to engage more student-athletes than traditional in-person opportunities,” said Empire 8 Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “It is a silver lining to the challenges posed by the pandemic. This programming is vital to the role of intercollegiate athletics contributing to the mission of higher education.”
Watts will also present virtually to staff members from Empire 8’s institutions on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Watts has empowered over 8,000 students and over 3,000 administrators and parents to practice mental wellness for themselves and others. She will speak on the following topic,
My Struggle With My Mental Health As An Athlete: You Are Not Alone.
- Learn about Watts’ story of her struggle with her mental health as an athlete (anxiety, depression), her fear of speaking up, but how speaking up saved her life.
- Change your mindset from seeking help as a sign of weakness, to seeking help as a sign of strength
- Identifying importance and beauty of finding self-worth and self-love and recognition that recovery is possible
- Understand that our mental health is just as important as our physical health
- Feel empowered to be part of the solution to change mental health culture
“We are thrilled to be providing mental health education for our student-athletes, as it is a top priority,” stated Mitrano. “However, that mental fatigue is not exclusive to student-athletes. Athletic staff members play a critical role in the experience for student-athletes. They are in a position of service and they too have experienced significant mental fatigue and stress as a result of the pandemic. This session will be a way to make sure we are helping the great people who work tirelessly to provide opportunities for their athletes and give them tools to manage their mental health in these most challenging of times.”
For the most up to date information on speakers and other important resources for the #E8Leaders campaign, visit www.empire8.com or follow @Empire8 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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