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College athletes spend hours every day training their bodies to perform at an elite level, but most student-athletes aren’t afforded the opportunity to focus on the mental skills that are also key to their success.

At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Director of Mental Performance Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD, meets regularly with student-athletes and their coaches to provide the time and space to make the mental side of sport a priority.

“College athletes experience a lot of demands on their time, and expectations on how they perform and behave, not just in their sport but in all facets of life,” said Ross-Stewart, associate professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Applied Health. “We prepare athletes for the physical side throughout their sport careers, but most are never given a place to learn about the strategies that can help them bolster their mental skills and not only survive the experience, but also thrive.”

Ross-Stewart works with athletes one-on-one and as a team to help them develop and sustain mental skills and strategies that are critical to their performance both in the classroom and on the field. 

“Dr. Ross-Stewart has supported me as a college student and as a collegiate athlete by helping me manage the stresses that come with both,” said senior women’s soccer player Taylor Spiller. “Being able to sit down with Dr. Ross-Stewart every week allows me to consciously reflect and examine what I am struggling with, what I am happy about or having fun with, why I am reacting in the way that I am, and how I can work to change these reactions for the better.”  

“Her work helped me get through times when I struggled with confidence and motivation,” added junior men’s soccer player Oskar Lenz. “Through goal setting and personal advice, I found strength in the struggle.” 

Ross-Stewart regularly hosts team meetings where she provides student-athletes with a dedicated time for honest self-reflection on the topics of the day and on how their mental health relates to their athletic performance, relationships with their teammates and coaches, and their overall well-being.

“Dr. Ross-Stewart provides our team with a group dynamic that is so very different than when they are together performing, training or practicing,” said Women’s Soccer Head Coach Derek Burton. “Her expertise is in her ability to sense where a session is going and what is needed next to make the most of the activities or discussion, all with the long-term goal of individual understanding and team development.” 

Though she has served as director of mental performance since 2014, Ross-Stewart’s work may be more important now than ever, given the added stressors and restrictions on full-team training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With Lindsay as an available resource for our student-athletes, she is able to address their individual needs from a mental well-being standpoint and provide cohesion training drills within the team setting,” said Mark Jamison, assistant athletic director for high performance. “She also serves as a liaison with SIUE Counseling Services to help any student-athlete who needs clinical care.”

“For the past five years, Dr. Ross-Stewart has gotten me through everything college sports and life in general has thrown at me, and she has never left me hanging by myself,” said softball player Bailley Concatto. “She truly cares about student-athletes on and off the field and is there to support us in any and every endeavor.”

While it’s clear Ross-Stewart has made a difference in the lives of student-athletes and coaches over the past eight years, the feeling is mutual.  

“The student-athletes at SIUE are exceptional, but most impressively, they are amazing human beings,” said Ross-Stewart. “Getting to work with them, and be a safe place for them to talk and share anything and everything, is one of the greatest honors of my life and is a responsibility I take seriously at all times.”

Photo: SIUE Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Director of Mental Performance Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD, associate professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Applied Health.