The University of Cincinnati Bearcats athletic department is advancing mental health prioritization for its 450+ student-athletes amid national attention after hiring the department’s first-ever director of sports psychology. Lenecia D. Nickell will assume the new role as she is coming from Cypress, Texas, where she ran her own counseling practice and service for 10 years.
The University of Cincinnati Bearcats athletic department is advancing mental health prioritization for its 450+ student-athletes amid national attention after hiring the department’s first-ever director of sports psychology.
Lenecia D. Nickell will assume the new role as she is coming from Cypress, Texas, where she ran her own counseling practice and service for 10 years.
While she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling Education and Supervision from Adams State University, Nickells MA in Counseling from Sam Houston State is coupled with a BS in Psychology from Texas A&M University.
“Our top priority is to help our student-athletes reach their potential and adding Lenecia to our team enables us to provide the resources necessary to keep them healthy, safe and well-being on and off the pitch said John Cunningham, the Cincinnati athletic director.
A certified mediator and parent facilitator, Nickell has worked in nonprofit organizations and elementary school settings in Texas and California. At Kids Inc., Nickell ministered to children, youth and families.
Nickell will oversee all psychiatric services for Cincinnati’s student athletes.
Cincinnati Athletics currently has an 11-staff Student-Athlete Support Service (SASS) department headed by Dr. Joe Lucky. The addition of Nickell appears to be a critical step in student and athlete well-being, given that SASS’s current goals focus on academic matters such as GPAs and an athlete’s graduation rate.
Two basketball players from Cincinnati spoke to The News Record in Fall 2021 on the state of mental health of student athletes in Cincinnati.
As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hampers student and athlete experiences, as many outsiders can agree, there is increasing debate about athlete mental health and the stigma surrounding it.
Often an athlete’s sanity is negated in order to praise their physical health so they can put on a show in front of the fans. The pandemic has changed that. National stars like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, athletes on the international stage have campaigned to make mental health a priority in the industry.
Nickell appears to be Cincinnati’s answer to giving athletes an outlet and voice amidst the busy life of a student athlete.
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