Read more about the A-10 Stronger Together Discussion Series
Collegiate student-athletes have been adjusting to the "new normal" of social distancing, shelter-in-place and online classes and exams with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of college campuses across the nation.
The Atlantic 10 Conference is addressing these uncertain times with the A-10 Stronger Together Discussion Series, a collaborative league-wide mental health initiative that features health care professionals, clinicians or subject matter experts from all 14 A-10 schools.
Read more about this week's discussion topics and presenters below.
7:00pm – "Finding Closure While Dealing with Grief and Loss" presented by Dr. Rachel Turk, University of Richmond
Struggling with how your season ended due to COVID-19? Not sure how to process missing out on major milestones in life? Looking for a sense of acceptance and release? Then "Finding Closure While Dealing with Grief and Loss" is for YOU! Learn how to healthily and effectively deal with life's hardships.
Watch On-Demand
7:30pm – "Senior Transitions" presented by Dr. Michael Ross and Ph.D. candidate Jordan Collins
Senior Transitions is meant to assist student-athletes with their transition out of sport upon graduation from college or conclusion of athletic season. Attendees will learn how to adjust to the maladaptive and adaptive circumstances during this transition as well as develop strategies to facilitate a healthy transition by examining value-based goals and athlete identity.
Watch On-Demand
Dr. Rachel Turk
Dr. Rachel Turk is in her first year as the University of Richmond Athletic Department's first-ever Staff Psychologist, working with the Spider student-athletes.
Dr. Turk earned her Doctor of Psychology degree from Radford University in August of 2019 while also earning her Masters of Clinical-Counseling Psychology from Radford in 2015. She completed her undergraduate work at Lynchburg College, earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2013. Dr. Turk was a four-year letterwinner at Lynchburg in volleyball, being team captain for one year and finishing her career second all-time in program history in assists.
Turk completed her pre-doctoral psychology internship at Appalachian State University with the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Center where she specialized in working with trauma survivors, students with eating concerns, and student-athletes.
At UR, Dr. Turk works exclusively with varsity student-athletes on both mental health concerns and performance anxieties/enhancements. Much of her time is spent in individual therapy with student-athletes, but she also provides programs and workshops to teams or staff. Additionally, she actively participates on the Athletic Care and Concern team as well as the Sports Performance Team to improve student-athlete well-being and performance by creating programs to help student-athlete success. If she is not in therapy or meetings she can be found at practices and games providing encouragement, support, and in the moment performance enhancement interventions.
Dr. Michael Ross
Dr. Ross is a Professor of Psychology providing doctoral education and training of scientist-practitioners in clinical sport psychology. He is the Founder and Director of SLU's Sport Psychological Sciences and Consultation Lab conducting evidence-based research and providing consultation to student-athletes and coaches for enhancing sport performance. Areas of sport psychology research and consultation include flow states, injury coping and recovery, sport transitions and retirement, and athletic values.
Jordan M. Collins, M.S.
Jordan earned his Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was a sprinter on the Men's Track & Field team. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the Illinois State University and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Saint Louis University. Jordan's research examines values and coping in collegiate athletes. He provides individual and team sport psychological services to student-athletes through SLU's Sport Psychological Sciences and Consultation Lab.