NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Atlantic 10 Conference Stronger Together Discussion Series, a weekly presentation on a range of mental health topics, will conclude this Thursday, June 18 at 7:00 pm ET with its 10^th and final presentation, a powerful message from Kym and Mark Hilinski of Hilinski’s Hope (H3H).

The Stronger Together series has consisted of nine 30-minute virtual sessions with mental health experts from Atlantic 10 institutions. Well received, these sessions targeted student-athletes from A-10 schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the cancellation of the men’s basketball championship and the regular season and championships for spring sports. The series has been overwhelmingly successful, providing guided discussions and question and answer sessions on a variety of mental health topics over the past eight weeks.
 
The Stronger Together Discussion Series finale featuring Hilinksi’s Hope will last an hour and will be highlighted by an extended, interactive question and answer session. Student-athletes, staff and administrators are all encouraged to participate, as the message is critical for everyone involved in college athletics. Click here to register for Thursday’s session, which begins at 7:00 pm ET.
 
Hilinski’s Hope was formed following the suicide of Kym and Mark’s middle son Tyler. Using the moniker H3H to recognize the number 3 Tyler wore on the football field, Hilinski’s Hope “connects students with mental health resources, assists universities to institutionalize best practices and generates the funding necessary to support programs that will help destigmatize mental illness.”
 
The Hilinski’s story has been told through numerous outlets, including two Sports Illustrated pieces, (one from 2018 and one last December) and an ESPN E:60 documentary that was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Short Sports Documentary. For more information on Hilinski’s Hope, please visit their website.
 
Since April, the Stronger Together Discussion Series has helped student-athletes at A-10 institutions adjust to the "new normal" of social distancing, shelter-in-place and online classes and exams following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of college campuses. The series has been a collaborative league-wide mental health initiative that has featured health care professionals, clinicians or subject matter experts from Atlantic 10 member institutions.
 
The penultimate presentation of the Stronger Together Series (Thursday, June 11), featured a story of humility and resiliency from Davidson College Athletic Director Chris Clunie.
 
“The A-10 continues to make the mental health and wellness of our scholar-athletes a key piece of its overall commitment to service and excellence,” Clunie said after his presentation last Thursday. “I would like to thank the A-10 for the opportunity to share my story on confidence, humility and resiliency, and I feel fortunate we are a part of a conference that puts scholar-athletes first.”
 
“The concept of pooling our collective resources, professional expertise in the area of wellness, mental health and virtual learning is a cutting-edge approach to reach our students," stated Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade following the launch of the series.  "I am grateful for the collective effort presented by A-10 credentialed professionals, health practitioners, professors and my staff for coordinating this webinar series and launching so quickly!”
 
The A-10 Student-Athlete Welfare Committee, chaired by Tim Kenney, Director of Athletics at St. Bonaventure University, helped conceptualize the discussion series to supplement the access to mental health-related services and resources. The committee is comprised of representatives from each of the 14 A-10 member institutions.  
 
“The health and welfare of student-athletes continues to be the No. 1 priority in the A-10, and not having them on our campuses presents new challenges," said Kenney in April. "We're all using technology to host meetings and by taking advantage of these virtual platforms we are able to provide meaningful discussions to address our student-athletes' concerns.”
 
Each of the previous presentations has been archived and can be watched below or by going to atlantic10.com/strongertogether 
 
April 23 – Coping With Change (Dr. Derek Vigon, George Mason University)

April 30 - Creating Focused Attention During a Crisis: A Coping Strategy
(Dr. Rebecca Cook, University of Dayton; Dr. Trisha Nash, George Washington University)

May 7 - Finding Closure While Dealing with Grief and Loss (Dr. Rachel Turk, University of Richmond)

May 7 - Senior Transitions (Dr. Michael Ross and Ph.D. candidate Jordan Collins, Saint Louis University)

May 14 - Dealing with Uncertainty (Dr. Nicole Gabana, University of Massachusetts)

May 21 - Responsibility and Resiliency: Coping as a Community (Laura Cilia, La Salle University)

May 28 - Real Talk: An Open Discussion (Dr. Jeffrey Ng and Dr. Susie Smedresman, Fordham University)

June 4 - Food for Mood with Elizabeth Allred (Davidson College)
 
June 11 – Confidence, Humility, and Resiliency (Chris Clunie, AD, Davidson College)