A Mercer University professor’s speaker series is raising awareness of the importance of mental well-being in sports while connecting students and community members with leaders in the field.
Dr. Caroline Brackette started the Scholarship of Sport Initiatives Speaker Series in 2022, and this year’s event is at 6 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Administration and Conference Center Auditorium on the Atlanta campus.
Dr. Brackette, counseling professor in the College of Professional Advancement, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and communication, a Master of Education in counseling, and a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from the University of Toledo. She has worked with sports teams throughout her career, beginning as hostess for her university’s football team when she was an undergraduate student.
Dr. Brackette highlighted the Toledo football team when she was a television producer and mentored the players for several years once she became a licensed professional counselor. After making connections with the NFL, she began providing counseling to professional athletes and served as team clinician for the Atlanta Falcons for three years. All of these experiences combined to give her a deeper understanding of mental health counseling in sports and the challenges that athletes face.
As a counseling professor, she created a course for students interested in working with athletes and arranged for sports psychologists, counselors and former players to be guest speakers. She’s spoken to Mercer’s football and women’s basketball teams and at local high schools.
“I get so many requests from students and from people in the community, wanting to hear my story and my journey to working with professional athletes and sports teams. That’s where I decided there’s a better way to do this,” she said.
So Dr. Brackette created the Scholarship of Sport Initiatives to bring all of this work together and foster collaboration between scholars and professionals. In addition to her programs and classes, she mentors counseling students and students in other disciplines who are interested in becoming sports consultants and collaborates with them on research, which has led to scholarly publications and presentations.
The speaker series is also a major component, allowing students, mental health providers and community members to interact with professionals in the sports realm and hear their stories. The inaugural event in 2022 featured Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti, licensed psychologist and vice president of wellness and clinical services for the NFL, as the guest speaker. The 2023 event, held virtually, focused on the sport ecosystem and featured a panel of sports professionals, including a collegiate-level athletic trainer, a professional sports team physician and a sports psychologist who worked with the Olympics.
Dr. NiiLampti is returning for the Nov. 19 event, along with Dr. Kensa Gunter, a licensed psychologist, certified mental health performance coach and director of mind health for the NBA. Dr. Brackette will moderate a candid conversation between them.
“They’re leaders in the field who many people look to for answers, but they’ve never been on the stage like this before,” Dr. Brackette said. “I hope it will be an enjoyable and informative experience for the audience. I’m familiar with these two (speakers), so I know they’re dynamic leaders. I know it’s going to be a great evening for learning and insight.”
The event is open to students, faculty, staff and the public. Advanced registration is requested. Past programs have drawn attendees from Mercer and several other Atlanta-area universities; coaches and athletics staff from high schools, colleges and professional sports; and a variety of mental health professionals.
“For me, it really shows that people understand the importance of talking about mental health the same way you talk about medical health,” Dr. Brackette said. “We can be that voice for having the conversation, letting people know it’s OK to talk about it, and this is how we address it in sport. It’s an opportunity for students to hear from those leading initiatives in the field.”
Dr. Brackette hopes her speaker series keeps growing and connecting the community with leaders in the field. Going forward, she plans to alternate between virtual and in-person events, which will help the discussions reach a wider audience. She will also continue mentoring students entering the profession.
“Mercer’s College of Professional Advancement and our counseling programs are excited to bring the NFL’s and the NBA’s leaders in mental health and wellness in sport to Mercer’s Atlanta campus,” said Dr. Priscilla Danheiser, dean of the College of Professional Advancement. “The event supports the advancement of scholarship and practice of our master’s and doctoral level counseling students and faculty members focused on athlete mental health, wellness and performance.”
The College of Professional Advancement offers master’s degrees in clinical mental health counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, school counseling and a Ph.D. degree in counselor education and supervision on the Atlanta campus in blended format. The college also offers undergraduate degrees in psychology and in human services.
