Close
About
FAQ
Home
Collections
Login
USC Login
Register
0
Selected
Invert selection
Deselect all
Deselect all
Click here to refresh results
Click here to refresh results
USC
/
Digital Library
/
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
/
The Awareness Podcast: a look into how sports can negatively affect a student-athlete's mental health
(USC Thesis Other)
The Awareness Podcast: a look into how sports can negatively affect a student-athlete's mental health
PDF
Download
Share
Open document
Flip pages
Contact Us
Contact Us
Copy asset link
Request this asset
Transcript (if available)
Content
THE AWARENESS PODCAST:
A LOOK INTO HOW SPORTS CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT A STUDENT-ATHLETE’S
MENTAL HEALTH
By:
Jarrod Franz Keeno Castillo
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)
August 2020
Copyright 2020 Jarrod Franz Keeno Castillo
ii
Acknowledgements
I want to thank the student-athletes that I interviewed for taking the time out of their very
busy schedules to help me make this podcast and for giving me an insight on what their lives are
truly like, as current and former student-athletes. I also want to thank the psychologists that
helped me understand the specific mental health issues student-athletes face. Special thanks to
my committee: Committee Chair Professor Willa Seidenberg, and Professors Alan Abrahamson
and Jeff Fellenzer. You helped me throughout the process, especially considering the
extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 quarantining that happened during the semester.
Additionally, I want to thank my family and friends for their words of encouragement
and being supportive throughout the entire journey, including the ups and downs and particularly
over the final months of this process when we were quarantined. It’s been interesting, to say the
very least. Lastly, I want to thank all the people who listen to this podcast. Without your ears and
open minds, the topic of mental health among student-athletes (and athletes as a whole) would
still be taboo. Together, we are helping to change that mind-set and slowly removing the stigma
related to mental health. For that, I thank you.
iii
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ii
Abstract iv
Episode One: What’s Up Doc? 1
Episode Two: Student-Athletes, They’re Just Like Us 12
Episode Three: Let’s Talk About It 37
Summary 56
Bibliography – Interviews 58
Bibliography – Text 59
Bibliography – Video 64
Filmography 66
Discography 67
iv
Abstract
This thesis takes the form of an audio podcast series that explores the issue of mental
health among student-athletes and athletes as a whole. The primary goal of this thesis is to
showcase how balancing sports, personal and academic lives can negatively affect a student-
athlete’s mental health. It’s intended to educate the general public on the struggles and issues that
affect student-athletes, what they go through on a daily basis, and the sacrifices they make for a
good game on the field, on the court or wherever they may play.
The main reason I wanted to explore how sports can negatively impact a student-athlete’s
– and athletes as a whole – mental health came after seeing numerous elite athletes such as
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan and the
most decorated Olympian of all time, swimmer Michael Phelps, talk about their issues with
mental health and their struggles with it, specifically with Love’s account of having a panic
attack during a basketball game and Phelps’ battle with depression. The trio is part of the 35% of
athletes that suffer from a mental health crisis, according to data compiled by Athletes for Hope,
a nonprofit founded in 2007 that educates, encourages and assists athletes in their efforts to
contribute to their community and other causes. Also, reading various journalistic and scholarly
articles helped me realize that although athletes are always exercising, it’s those moments of
trying to be perfect that might prove to be harmful to their mental health. Exercise has generally
been accepted as one of the more effective ways of dealing with mental health issues. Hearing
that elite athletes have mental health issues surprised me. If over-exercising to attain perfection
can add stress and anxiety to a professional, I wondered how that – along with dealing with
school and a personal life – can affect a student-athlete over time.
v
During my exploration of how sports can negatively impact an athlete’s mental health, I
focused more on student-athletes because they are one of the more underrepresented groups
having conversations around mental health and addressing mental health concerns. For example,
while Episode One mainly centered around a mental health professional, an extensive amount of
work went into Episode Two, making sure the student-athletes I interviewed were able to express
their feelings and experiences as an athlete. In Episode Three, I combined the athlete’s voice
along with a fan, coach and mental health professionals to paint a more complete picture of the
true components of athletics. In doing so, I was able to better understand that student-athletes
live much more complicated lives than most of the public knows. It’s not just playing sports and
getting a free education: There are contracts to be signed, event appearances to attend and an
incredible time commitment for their sport. So much so that everything revolves around the sport
and making sure every hour of their day is accounted for.
This series aims to give the listener a behind-the-curtain look into what a student-
athlete’s life is like away from the public eye. It delves into how balancing their academic,
personal and sports lives can ultimately be detrimental to their mental health, and how the
general public can better understand and appreciate the complexity and layers of an athlete’s life.
1
Episode One: What’s Up, Doc?
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Imagine waking up at 5 in the morning.
AMBI:
[alarm beeping]
AMBI:
[huffing and puffing as in exercise]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
You head out to practice …. for the next five hours or until the coach says practice is over.
Then you run to class – skipping breakfast.
AMBI:
[A teacher droning on]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
You’re in class all afternoon and maybe into the evening.
AMBI:
[cafeteria sounds]
2
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
At 7 p.m. you rush to the cafeteria to get dinner before it closes.
After that, you do your homework to completion [ambi = typing], whatever time that is.
You collapse into bed. [ambi = sound of someone falling into bed]
Then you do it all over again the following day.
That’s the life of most student-athletes.
ACTUALITY: MONTAGE OF STUDENT-ATHLETES
MARTINA MCCOWAN: You wake up at 5, 4, whatever you wake up. Even some days I would
skip breakfast to sleep in a little bit more, so I wasn’t tired for the workout.
“JOHN SMITH”: Wake up at 6 o'clock in the morning, go work out, probably will work out for
an hour. [:08]
SALVADOR CARLOS: Wake up 5 in the morning. Like sometimes we will practice so much
we wouldn't even make it for breakfast and our coaches would never consider it. [:13]
3
“JOE DOE”: So, the day is really like a 5:45a.m. - 7:30 p.m.-type day where you have every
hour accounted for between 5:45 and 7:30. [:12]
CECILY WILSON: I could have a class that doesn’t start until 12, but I’m up at 5 o’clock in the
morning. [:17]
ALYAA ABDULGHANY: For golf, let’s say we wake up around 5:35-45. We start practice
around 6:45 and that’ll go all the way until maybe 11-11:30. And then we have a small little
chunk for lunch. And then we start class around 12 and then depending on what year you are,
how demanding your courses are, maybe you’ll finish at 6, maybe you’ll finish at 10. And we do
that all over again. [:13]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
You do it all over again … every day of the semester.
And eventually … that lifestyle catches up to you.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST INTRODUCTION: Jarrod Castillo
Welcome to the Awareness Podcast - looking at how sports can impact the mental health of
student-athletes. I’m your host, Jarrod Castillo, and in this episode, I’ll be talking about the
student-athletes’ mind-set.
4
Mental health has been a taboo subject because people aren’t always aware of how mental health
affects everyone.
Athletes may seem like they have everything … but at the end of the day, they’re also human.
There’s so much stigma around mental health that many don’t talk about it for fear of being seen
as “crazy” or “unhinged.”
But that’s changing … and being able to openly talk about mental health is an important step,
especially for elite athletes.
First, let's define mental health.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
Mental health, in general, is our overall well-being… [:04]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
That’s Kelly Soler. She’s a licensed clinical social worker who treats athletes who have eating
disorders and those who are transitioning from sports to regular life.
5
Soler is a former student-athlete and she had experience with eating disorders while attending the
University of California, Santa Barbara. That’s what got her into working with athletes,
especially in their transition after sports. We talked using Zoom, a video conferencing platform.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
Being able to connect to athletes as well because they go a little bit unnoticed in the population
and they're just a really unique crowd of people. They're really determined, really hard working.
So, it's really just a small niche to be able to connect with. [:14]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The National Institute of Mental Health says that in 2017, nearly one in five adults in the United
States lived with a mental illness.
1
That’s almost 47 million people. Talking about mental health
is more common among the general public, but athletes are still reluctant to talk about it.
But even ESPN has featured athletes talking about mental health issues – athletes like DeMar
DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
23
1
“Mental Illness,” National Institute of Mental Health, February 2019, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-
illness.shtml.
2
ESPN, “DeMar DeRozan opens up about mental health: ‘It’s all about helping others’ | ESPN,” ESPN, March 2, 2018, video,
2:26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE93xahPxaE&t=75s.
3
ESPN, “Kevin Love details his battles with mental illness | ESPN,” ESPN, August 20, 2018, video, 5:37.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ov9XZzByA&t=1s.
6
CLIP: ESPN interview with Kevin Love
Essentially was trying to clear my throat, sticking my hand down my throat, trying to get myself
air. Yeah, so it was terrifying. It was terrifying. I thought I was having a heart attack. I really felt
like I was gonna die in this moment.
CLIP: ESPN interview with DeMar DeRozan
It's not about you, just being the selfless person about things you going through. Other people
going through stuff as well. You know, if you could share that and put that on the forefront. It
may help somebody, whether it's one person or 100, 1,000, you know, and I just finally got to
that point to where you know it's time for me to say something. [:18]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Saying something is still one of the most difficult things for an athlete to do, especially when it
comes to their mental health. That’s why they try to appear superhuman.
One reason why athletes aren’t thought of as having mental illness is the fact that they stay in
shape with a strenuous exercise routine.
Exercise has been acknowledged as an effective way of improving mental wellness. It reduces
the levels of stress hormones in your body and it stimulates the production of endorphins.
7
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
It gets us outside. It gets us connected to others. It gets us moving our body. And so, we're gonna
kind of, in some ways, be able to process things physically. It gets us mindful. [:13]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The phone app Pokémon GO is an example of how movement can improve our mental health.
The app encourages users to move around outside to capture Pokémon. Canadian researchers
concluded that Pokémon GO players saw increased physical activity, better social interactions
and an improved sense of well-being.
4
For most of us who are feeling blue, going out for a run or doing yoga might pull us out of it.
But for athletes, physical activity is the norm, rather than the exception as they’ve spent their
entire lives playing a particular sport. Soler says that singular focus could cause them to struggle
with their identity and develop negative mental health habits.
4
Megan Brooks, “Pokémon GO May Boost Mental and Physical Health,” Medscape, May 7, 2018,
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/896265.
8
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
When we've been playing something for 20-some odd years. And we've, we have this identity.
That's the way we've made friends. And in some ways, it's kind of a developmental issue where
we've gone to practice, and we know what to talk to these people about. It's like an automatic
connection … When we have high, high performing athletes, say, like Michael Phelps, and then
they stop playing their sport, there's like a really big low. In some ways, you know, he discussed
feeling suicidal, substance abuse, a big amount of depression. [:32]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Mental health issues might not show up in athletes until they are well into their professional
careers. But often, these problems begin in childhood. Sports can have a negative effect on child
athletes because it puts too many demands on them while they’re still developing.
As kids are developing cognitive and judgment skills, they may have trouble interpreting
criticism from coaches, parents and teammates.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
So, imagine we hear one thing and we're just like, that's it. It's me. I'm the problem. I mean, that
might not be what they're saying, but that's that's where we're at developmentally. And so, it's
really difficult to say that to a young child, expect them to have this clear view of maybe all the
other possibilities that we mean. [:18]
9
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Then there are parents we’ve all heard about – those pushing their kids in unhealthy ways.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
Yeah. I mean, how fun do you think that video was when the dad got in the car and was just like,
‘Why are you talking to your friends? You should be playing better. You should be focusing.’
Like, it would be heartbreaking in some ways. I don't imagine somebody being like, ‘Yeah,
you're right, dad,’ like, you know, with a smile on their face. That's hard. [:17]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Children can base their entire self-worth on the validation they get from being good at their craft.
That perfectionist mind-set can cause kids to feel terrible if they don’t reach a standard of
perfection for their sport.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
If you see sports like dancing, swimming, ballet, synchronized swimming, even where they, you
know, even track where it matters, .0002 of a second. You know, it's that perfectionism that they
have to use to just really, really make their craft successful. [:22]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Soler says that the perfectionism athletes demand of themselves is the same trait she sees in
people with eating disorders. Especially in sports where appearance is key.
10
There’s a fine line on how to positively encourage children who are playing sports. That’s why
it’s important to understand what motivates the child to play and excel in sports.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
You want to push your child and you’re paying for them to be out there. And so, there are so
many mixed messages of what parents think is OK to do. And then how some kids really
internalize that it’s not fun anymore. [:13]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The internet is filled with stories of parents who lose it during games – yelling at coaches,
referees and their kids.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
There’s many more articles these days that says, ‘Be a parent, don’t be a coach,’ you know? Or
‘don't be a referee’ and let the coaches do that role because of how detrimental it is for both the
athlete, also the coach itself who, he or she may be saying something completely different. [:18]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Most parents want the best for their kids, and many try to help them play sports to get everything
they can.
11
And for some athletes, that, too, can add pressure. Former women’s college basketball player
Martina McCowan remembers what her family did to help her play the game she loved.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
I was able to see, like, the sacrifices, the sacrifices that my dad made for me to just play, to go to
all the AAU tournaments. So that when I was on the road for AAU, I would have food and things
like that. So, seeing that the sacrifices that my family and everyone put in for me to just do
essentially what I loved. [:14]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
We’ll hear more from her in future episodes.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
And with that, I’ll see you in Episode Two, where I’ll speak with current student-athletes who
are balancing their sports, school and personal life along with former student-athletes to hear
their experiences.
This episode of the Awareness Podcast was produced by me, Jarrod Castillo, at USC’s
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Thank you so much for listening and I’ll
see you in Episode Two.
12
Episode Two: Athletes: They’re Just Like Us
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST INTRODUCTION: Jarrod Castillo
Welcome back to the Awareness Podcast. I’m your host, Jarrod Castillo, and in this episode, I
talk to some current and former student-athletes to get an understanding of that life.
I started my quest where I went for undergrad: Long Beach State.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
My name is Martina McCowan. I play women's basketball at Long Beach State. [:04]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
McCowan proved to be an effective defensive player. But an injury cut her senior year short.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
I played four games. It was our fourth game. We're playing against Reno, Nevada. And I was on
the floor. I was doing pretty well. And then kind of just all went downhill from there. One of my
teammates, she got pushed into my knee. So, my knee like hyperextended and popped. And I
thought at that moment, like I tore my ACL. [:18]
13
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Thankfully, she didn’t tear her ACL, but she still tore some ligaments in her knee. It wasn’t as
bad as she thought and that gave her hope of playing basketball again.
McCowan tried a natural treatment to speed up healing but it didn’t work as expected, effectively
ending her career.
She spent the next few months trying to figure out where she would go from there, now that she
could no longer play the game that had dominated her life since seventh grade.
Because of her injury, McCowan noticed her mental health took a hit.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
I had fell into a little bit of depression because I wasn't going to class. This is the first big injury I
had, like my grades started slipping … So, I was just like really down about it. [:10]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
In an effort to keep playing basketball, McCowan tried to medically redshirt her senior year, but
that was declined.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
So that was just like mentally, mentally draining because that was just like those bad experiences
are the last experiences I have of basketball. So that just kind of made it hard for me. [:11]
14
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
As McCowan recovered from her injury and the realization that she would never play basketball
again set in, she had to confront how she would move forward in life. Her whole social circle and
support network had revolved around her teammates.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
So, I just had to really like lean on them; I had to heavily rely on them. I was fortunate to have
really good roommates who played on the team. So, they always just kind of were there to check
on me. [:10]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
McCowan says the lifestyle student-athletes live can be too much from time to time.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
It just adds on for depression, because like your coaches expect so much from you, your parents
expect so much from you, but then it just kind of goes back to what do you expect from yourself?
And if you're not physically or mentally ready to do it, then you can't do it. [:12]
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
15
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The demands on a student-athlete are huge because they must give their all to their sport and
keep up their studies. In return, scholarship athletes receive full-tuition, room and board, which,
at a school like USC, could translate to more than $200,000 over four or five years. Alyaa
Abdulghany is a golfer on USC’s women’s golf team.
INTERVIEW: Alyaa Abdulghany
You have to stay awake and be very attentive to what you're doing. Because for golf, we don't
have like a golf course, here at USC. We have our small little base, like our hitting simulators.
But we'd have to drive out 30 minutes, 40 minutes with traffic to where we want to practice. So,
if we're not attentive all the time, we can just get ourselves in trouble without knowing it.…
It's hard because we don't really think about the basic things like food or water. We're always
like, ‘Oh, we have to be here. We have to do this. We have to make sure we're on time’. And
small little things like eating or drinking or taking naps just kind of slips out of my mind until
like, we're tired. We're hungry. [:38]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Because Division I is a whole new ballgame, Abdulghany struggled when she transitioned from
high school to college sports.
16
INTERVIEW: Alyaa Abdulghany
After probably three or four weeks into college, I was drained, I did not know how I could
perform well, I was not to say struggling in academics but more of like, if I'm putting too much
effort in my academics to keep a really good GPA, and then I'm failing in golf. Or if I'm at a
certain point, I switched over and I was doing really well in golf, my academics is dragging...I
was moody and I just didn't want to talk to anyone because I was trying to figure out all day what
I was doing wrong. [:26]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
It took her two and a half years to learn how to properly balance everything.
One strategy she tried was meditating as a way to calm herself down.
Meditating is the practice of training the mind to rein in all its thoughts and to be focused on the
present moment.
INTERVIEW: Alyaa Abdulghany
About a year, year and a half ago, I really started to like, putting time aside to do meditation.
And it's, at first it seemed like, ‘well, what am I doing, like sitting here quietly for five minutes
letting my brain run 500 million tracks.’ But the whole point of it is to really just calm yourself
and reflect and be positive and get all these thoughts out of your head. It's really nice. [:24]
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
17
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Although Abdulghany may not have personally experienced mental health issues as a Division I
athlete, many others do.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
I spoke to Victoria Garrick, who has firsthand experience with the struggles of trying to balance
everything.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
My name is Victoria Garrick. I am a public speaker, mental health and body image advocate and
a content creator. [:07]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Victoria Garrick used to be the co-captain of USC’s women’s volleyball team. She was a walk-
on and in her true freshman year, she started and played in every game. That year, the Trojans
won the Pac-12 championship.
18
Garrick finished her career with three NCAA Tournament appearances, two Pac-12 All-
Academic Honorable Mentions and two seasons in which she was the captain. She also won
USC’s Best Passer/Digger award twice and a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honor. And
she is ranked among the top-five diggers in the program’s history.
She’s clearly an accomplished athlete, but balancing school, athletics and her personal life took a
toll on her.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
It was something that really stressed on me and wore me out. And I didn't really know at the
time. I was just used to wanting to accomplish and achieve and get things done and excel [:14]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Garrick says she was able to deal with the pressure in high school, but everything changed once
she began college sports.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
And I started to really feel the pressure of not having enough time or not feeling good enough or
I didn't get a great grade but then I had to go play or I didn't play well, and I had to study. And
just a lot of things started to stress me and overwhelm me. [:14]
19
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
She tried to suppress the feelings that were building up inside her, but eventually it became too
much.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
That anxiety sort of led me into depression and a depressive state of being really unhappy and
being really tired. And, burnout is you're so exhausted and you're also so overwhelmed; those
two things kind of working against each other inside of you. And those are mental health issues
that I had never experienced before. [:21]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Garrick finally reached out for help, but she says it wasn’t easy in the beginning … especially
since she felt that there was a stigma among athletes about mental illness.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
You are this thing that so many people want, and think is amazing and want to succeed and they
root for you. And so, for me to be in that position and realize how lucky I was and how much it's
all I'd ever wanted, but then to be so unhappy and have such a hard time and be struggling was a
really guilty and a shameful feeling. And I didn't want to talk about it or tell people because it
didn't feel right. It didn't feel OK [:24]
20
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Once she found the help that she needed, Garrick realized it was OK to struggle and not be
perfect.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
And when I finally realized that and I realized that on the other side of getting help and dealing
with these demons, everything was OK. I thought, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I spent such a
long time struggling in silence. I can't believe so many athletes feel the same way I do, and they
don't know that it's OK. [:20]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Garrick’s experience is reflected in figures from the nonprofit group, Athletes for Hope. It found
that only 10% of college athletes seek help.
5
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
You know, you hear things like if there's a will, there's a way. Or the best don't rest, you see.
Yes. I grew up with the ESPN commercials, the Sports Illustrated athletes on the cover with all
of these figures that are defined as strong and idolized by society as people who figure it out and
they get it done and they're successful and they find a way. So, when you're struggling and you
you need someone else's help, especially as an athlete, it's so hard to admit that because you want
to be the competitor that you've idolized as a child. [:24]
5
“Mental Health and Athletes,” Athletes for Hope, March 11, 2020, http://www.athletesforhope.org/2019/05/mental-health-and-
athletes/.
21
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
After personally addressing her mental health issues, Garrick became an outspoken advocate for
mental health among athletes. She began traveling around the country, speaking with athletes.
One particular event at Springfield College stands out.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
There were many students that stayed to talk, and two girls waited about 30 minutes to speak
with me. They were the last ones in the gym. … And then the one girl, her name was Chloe. She
took off a bracelet that she was wearing, that said brave. And she said, ‘I want you to have this.’
And she told me that she had gotten it from someone else who gave it to her. And now you're
supposed to pass it on… Just that act of someone taking their bracelet off and giving it to me. It's
just meant the world. I wear the bracelet every day and I wear it when I give talks. And, you
know, I'm excited to pass that feeling along when I pass the bracelet on one day. [:30]
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Sometimes, injury can be the spark for depression in athletes. That was true for Salvador Carlos,
a former college basketball player at Biola University. He suffered torn ACL’s in his knees.
22
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
The head coach never came to me. Never asked me how I was doing, how my mental [health]
was, how my knees were doing, how’s school … never, never, never, wasn’t of importance. I
felt, in my opinion, I was never important to the coach at Biola. [:12]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Carlos was frustrated because he felt like a commodity.
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
You put in that year and a half of work, the patience. And like the determination and just for all
to go to [bleep]? How can I put this? I would say it was demeaning, you know? It's basically
telling me like dang like no matter what I do like I'm not worth anything to them, so I guess that
was the start of my mental health with basketball, how it declined. [:21]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Carlos transferred to Cerritos College and he enjoyed it there.
But after transferring to the University of Alaska – Fairbanks, he noticed his mental health
started to decline yet again.
23
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
Thousands of miles away from my family. That was my first time I ever moved out of state, so it
was a very, it is very challenging for me. Obviously, emotions running high, scattered around my
brain… my family’s very family-oriented, we stay together; we have such a strong bond. So,
when I left, it was detrimental. [:21]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
So now, Carlos is thousands of miles from home and his family. And what he found in Alaska
was not a team that was supportive of him or each other.
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
They threatened me to kick me out. They called me fat. Like, I wasn't in shape, it was ridiculous.
It dampered my mentality because, you don't want to hear that from your coaches like this is
supposed to be your family. … Take it how you want, but it hurts, honestly, no one's ever weak.
I would never, ever call anybody weak for the stuff they're going through because obviously, the
mental illness is different for everybody. And you gotta respect that in your own way because
you got to get through yourself. Yeah, like it was bad, man. I don't feel loved and worthy. Like I
have nobody. [:32]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Carlos says that along with a toxic environment, he had to worry about his studies and other team
obligations.
24
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
I had no down time when I was in Alaska. ‘Cause it was either like, I gotta go to [bleeping] study
hall. And we had study hall three times a week, which was ridiculous … and then we got class
you know, we don't even got time to eat because we got to go to these meetings, these
unnecessary NCAA meetings like yeah, bro. Like I said, it wasn't fun anymore, man, it turned
into a job. [:22]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Critics of college sports say colleges and universities are treating student-athletes like
professionals in one way, but not rewarding them like a pro athlete. Carlos says he worked hard
to get an athletic scholarship.
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
Our financial status is a burden too. And especially if you're not coming from a wealthy family.
I'm not wealthy … We had an absolute right to earn that scholarship, but at the same time. That's
not on contract, bro, all those meetings and all that it's not on contract. When I signed my letter
of intent, I didn't see none of that, you know, what was going to come with it? That's just a
personal experience you have to go through. [:24]
25
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Speaking of personal experiences, Cameron Patterson is a former women’s tennis player at
UCLA. Her years on the tennis team were fraught with problems.
In one instance, Patterson’s grandmother passed away the weekend of a tournament. Patterson
played poorly – she says she was “emotionally unequipped,” but her coach didn’t care.
INTERVIEW: Cameron Patterson
But she used that against me saying that, my performance is not up to par or something. But I
was obviously going through a big family thing at that time. So, you would think there'd be some
sympathy but there's never any. [:12]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Patterson says the straw that broke the camel’s back happened in her sophomore year. The coach
told her she would not do conditioning with the team and instead, ordered her to pick up their
lunch order.
INTERVIEW: Cameron Patterson
I then didn't say a word to them. I was in tears. Just started crying because I just couldn't ever
control my emotions and just started crying. Cause I was pissed. And I went into the team room,
I like grabbed legit everything. And I just left, and I never showed up again. [:20]
26
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Patterson left the team, but she didn’t go without telling the coaches why. After, she wrote an
email airing her grievances.
INTERVIEW: Cameron Patterson
But I also listed every single kind of form of like, emotional abuse that I had gone through since
the start of the team, and all the shit that I went through. I like documented everything. And then
I also copied the head of athletics at UCLA to the email [:24]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Once the coaches were disciplined, the athletic director asked Patterson if she wanted to join the
team again, but after everything she had gone through, she declined.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, Patterson got priority enrollment for a few semesters
afterward, but she says that she wishes that she could get the time back she lost.
After the ordeal, Patterson says that the memories lingered.
INTERVIEW: Cameron Patterson
Every time I would walk past the tennis facilities, or on campus, even up until senior year, I kind
of felt this pit in my stomach, felt a bit depressed and let down about the whole experience and
felt like I disappointed myself in a way because I thought things would turn out differently. [:19]
27
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Patterson says her experience has helped players who came after her. She’s heard from parents of
walk-on athletes the coaches made changes, like treating walk-ons with more respect and not
emotionally abusing them.
INTERVIEW: Cameron Patterson
It was so sweet to hear because I always wanted to leave an imprint somehow on the UCLA
community in terms of sports. If I made the mental health of future walk-ons better, I'm glad that
I could do that. [:14]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
After she left the tennis team, Patterson realized that being a student-athlete was a misnomer; it’s
a job.
INTERVIEW: Cameron Patterson
Especially when you're playing at such a high level, I feel like it's not even a question tennis
comes first. They really instilled that in us. I tried to do newspaper and she called my parents,
getting mad at them, saying that, ‘Cameron needs to be focused on only academics and tennis,’
but we knew that it was just tennis. [:21]
28
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Patterson says she felt like a machine and that there was no freedom.
Cecily Wilson is a former women’s basketball player for Long Beach State and a former
teammate of Martina McCowan’s. Like other student-athletes, she says playing sports in college
became a job for her.
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
It was a lot to take in ... the early mornings, long nights, you know, you gotta manage time for
study hall, treatment, classes, practice, meetings to fit in with teachers and then like a social life
and your social life was with your teammates, or other athletes and study hall or in treatment,
you know? [:20]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Wilson had an experience as a student-athlete that caused her mental health to take a hit.
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
My junior year, that was, my toughest year in college. Like I was just, like, mentally I was just so
like, checked out, I was checked out of school, I was checked out of basketball. And, like, I just,
I don't know, I was just like, at a loss for words kind of thing. I just wasn't right in my head. I just
didn't care, you know, whether I played or not. [:19]
29
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Wilson recalls that even though she didn’t really mind when coaches grilled her for making
mistakes, there was a particular experience that stood out. Her coaches kept going in on that
mistake and it got too much for her.
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
I just like lost it. Like I was just hyperventilating. I was crying. I couldn't catch my breath. I just
didn't know how to feel. My feelings are just taking the best of me. [:11]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
After talking with other student-athletes, Wilson was able to figure out what was going on.
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
They kind of were like saying, like you had like an anxiety attack or like a panic attack, like you
were freaking yourself out over something that you just been holding in. And so I think it's
important that those conversations, as coaches or parents, you know, teammates, if you notice,
somebody experiencing, you know, those kind of emotions or traits, I think it's important that
you point them in the right direction. [:27]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Wilson adds that with all that student-athletes have to deal with, she wants the general public to
know that they are more than just an athlete because of their sacrifices to be well-rounded
individuals.
30
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
We find a way to get it done. We find a way to do it again the next day and the next day … I
think a lot of people think that student-athletes are lazy, and you know, they have things handed
to them. But in retrospect, we work really hard. I got a degree like that, that's something. It's
difficult to get a degree and have such a crazy schedule like that and be traveling. I'm very proud
of that. So, I think that, people should definitely know that student-athletes are … we are very
determined, and we always find a way to get things done. [:34]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
I spoke with a USC football player and because of very strict team policies with regards to
players speaking to members of the media, I will refer to him as “Joe Doe.”
According to Doe, they have specific apps that help them plan out their day around their sport.
The app makes sure every hour of the day is accounted for. An athlete’s life is controlled, unlike
most college students who experience a sense of freedom for the first time in their lives.
Seeing other students be free with their time can negatively affect a student-athlete’s mental
health. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge an athlete’s mental health.
31
Even though it’s tough to speak out, some professional athletes are helping to break the sense of
shame about mental health among athletes. That’s why USC alum Victoria Garrick asked the late
Kobe Bryant to speak about mental health when he was a guest speaker at USC’s Performance
Science Institute in 2018.
6
CLIP: Kobe Bryant at USC’s Performance Science Institute
I think it's important for athletes to own, what it is that they're going through. It's awareness … I
think the most important thing is for us to be aware of what's going on – in here. Not that it’s
bad, good or indifferent, but it's awareness. And once you're aware of it, then you can choose to
walk hand in hand with it, or you can choose to fight it, but you're making that decision. If you
just constantly bury that in a distance, then it starts festering, and it comes up in different ways
and manifests itself in different ways. [:26]
ACTUALITY: MONTAGE OF STUDENT ATHLETES
CAMERON PATTERSON: I fully agree with what Kobe Bryant’s saying. I think it does, it
takes maturity. I feel like, to be self-aware, it takes maturity to be able to realize that the feelings
that you're feeling are questionable [:14]
6
TheLeapTV, “Kobe Bryant | Mamba Mentality | USC Performance Science Institute,” TheLeapTV, April 25, 2018, video,
1:00:06. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-vgyEbtPU&t=2s.
32
ALYAA ABDULGHANY: And self-awareness is such a big thing. If you don't catch yourself
getting angry you don't catch yourself, you know, all of a sudden dipping in this like hard, sulken
state about how you're playing … it's tough. Absolutely. And it carries on through different
aspects, aspects in your life. [:16]
CECILY WILSON: I definitely think that, with the conversation switching on mental health, it's
definitely going to improve college basketball, high school sports, you know even more. [:10]
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Former women’s college basketball player Alzena Henry, who played at Long Beach State and
Cal State Dominguez Hills, was aware of her mental health struggles. She told me how speaking
out and trying out different things helped her, even though it was really hard.
INTERVIEW: Alzena Henry
I remember I had suicidal thoughts. I got on medication. I had suicidal dreams; had to get off,
like, I remember I lied to my doctor. Because I was like, I'm not taking this medication. I'm not
doing all that like, I can't, I'm not functioning like that. [:15]
33
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
With everything going on with their sports, tournaments and championship games can be
especially stressful for athletes. Henry remembers one NCAA Tournament, when almost
everyone on the team was dealing with emotional and mental issues because of stress. The
athletic trainer noticed.
INTERVIEW: Alzena Henry
He told us that we had to stop dropping our weight. Because people's weights were dropping, I
don't even know how he knew it, but he was like, ‘you guys got to stop dropping weight. Um,
you guys got to make sure that you're eating. I know it's a stressful time and I know it’s hard.
[:14]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Doing a lot of talk therapy with a sports psychologist helped Henry understand why she was
feeling depressed and having those thoughts. Although she got help, Henry says that it was really
hard.
Nevertheless, a few of the athletes I’ve spoken to says talking to a sports psychologist assigned
to them helped. Here’s Cecily Wilson again.
34
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
But then sometimes we would also express to her, you know, like our frustrations as far as either
with the coaching staff or just you know, how we were feeling during the game … like we were
able to discuss that with her as well as she would give us feedback as far as how we can handle
it, you know, and just kind of help us move on from that and kind of learn and work, talk about
our feelings. [:25]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
USC football player Doe says his coach was big on making sure players were in the right frame
of mind. Coaches were willing to listen and if they couldn’t help, they would direct a player to
speak with one of the sports psychologists USC has available.
But some athletes, like Martina McCowan, worry that if they say they need help, they will be
judged for it.
INTERVIEW: Martina McCowan
So I think it’s things like that in the back of student-athletes’ minds that are really just making it
hard for them to just say that like, ‘OK, this is how I feel and I need help because I don't want to
be again, a cancer. I don't want to be the bad blood on the team. I don't want to bring my
problems and put them on front. I just want to kind of be by myself or I want to do this, and I
want to hide it and I want to kind of move forward. [:23]
35
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
There are times when speaking to a psychologist can have negative effects. Tyla Turner, a
women’s college basketball player at UC San Diego, questions who the psychologists represent,
and it made it hard for her to know who she could talk to.
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
They'll have a team psychologist on the team, but the team psychologist tells the coaches
everything. And you're like, ‘Oh, I can't really say anything because it's not confidential.’ Like I
thought it was. [:12]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Turner says sometimes, coaches are so focused on winning that the players’ feelings get swept
under the rug.
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
They focus on that so much that they forget to focus on like, ‘Is my team OK?’ Are the young
women that I have on my team, OK? Like, are they going to play for me because I'm there for
them? That plays a role in how people mentally break down. [:16]
36
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
As mental health becomes more accepted in society, the NCAA is taking notice: The NCAA is
finally addressing the mental health issues of its athletes.
In the third and final episode, we’ll wrap things up by talking about how athletes can use their
platforms to help spread awareness that mental illness doesn’t discriminate and how we, as a
society, can do better in that regard.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
It’ll be fascinating to see where the conversation goes from there. Especially since professional
athletes are beginning to speak up about it. Who knows what the impact of that conversation will
be.
This episode of the Awareness Podcast was produced by me, Jarrod Castillo, at USC’s
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Thank you so much for listening and I’ll
see you in Episode Three.
37
Episode Three: Let’s Talk About It
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST INTRODUCTION: Jarrod Castillo
Welcome back to the Awareness Podcast. I’m your host, Jarrod Castillo, and in this episode, I
talk to athletes, mental health professionals, a coach and a fan to see what can be done to
alleviate the stigma of mental illness among student-athletes. I also talk about the schools’ and
the NCAA’s role, and how society as a whole can help reduce the stigma around mental health.
It’s simple why there’s so much stigma around mental illness: it’s still taboo to talk about in
some circles.
Mental illness has gotten such a bad reputation partly because of how it’s been portrayed in
movies and media. A study done in 2019 by USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative found that
almost 50% of film characters with mental health conditions were portrayed as perpetrators of
violence.
7
Words like “freak,” “crazy,” “nutjob” and “psycho” are normalized in film and TV as ways to
refer to someone with a mental illness.
7
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Marc Choueiti, Angel Choi, Dr. Katherine Pieper, Dr. Christine Moutier, “Mental Health Conditions in
Film & TV: Portrayals that Dehumanize and Trivialize Characters,” USC Annenberg, May 2019,
http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-study-mental-health-media_052019.pdf
38
Kelly Soler is a licensed clinical social worker who works with athletes. Since mental illness is
not obvious, like a physical injury, Soler says it’s difficult to properly address what is going on.
INTERVIEW: Kelly Soler
But it's not the norm for athletes to say, ‘hey, I'm going to take care of myself emotionally’ as
much as it is like, ‘hey, I got an ankle sprain, I'm going to take this game out.’ Like the physical
and emotional aspects are just still so far away from one another. [:15]
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
You can't really think about what's going on with you as an individual when you always got
something to do every day. [:07]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Tyla Turner is a women’s college basketball player at UC San Diego.
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
When you are always on the move. It's hard to like just sit down and be like, ‘dang, am I OK
though?’ [:06]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
One time, Turner was released from a team and it made her so sad that she found it hard to
function.
39
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
All these thoughts was rushing through my head, I couldn't even breathe and it was hard for me
to sleep … And then I was also going through an injury as well. And it was just like those two
things was going through my head and it was rough. It was just a rough semester for me and
going through that. The reason why I went through that is because I had the time on my hands to
think about that. [:24]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Having an injury added to the stress because she was concerned about her playing time and how
she would perform once she was back on the court. Turner says the fear of what others think and
being so busy causes student-athletes to think twice about coming forward.
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
That's why it's harder for student-athletes to talk about mental health. We are so busy. And when
we're not student-athletes, we're not busy and then we become more depressed and more inclined
to like, be just more sad, I feel sometimes. Not everyone but some of us. [:18]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The immense pressure on student-athletes can cause anxiety and lead to problems sleeping,
which can exacerbate the stresses. Sometimes, it’s hard for a young athlete to know how to break
out of that cycle.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
40
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Research is finally being done on how athletes are affected by mental illness. In 2016,
researchers at Drexel and Kean universities studied more than 450 Division I student-athletes.
These are the athletes at the big schools where college sports is big business. The researchers
studied the students over a period of three years.
They found that 6.3% had moderate to severe levels of depression. The same study found almost
24% of the student-athletes reported clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms.
8
Sports psychologist Andrew Wolanin was one of the researchers on that study. The study
measured how severe various symptoms of depression were – on a scale from one to three – for a
student-athlete. If a student-athlete’s score was 16 or higher, that athlete could have depression.
Wolanin says that even though the researchers didn’t meet with the student-athletes directly,
their responses are consistent with those who have depression.
8
Wolanin, Andrew T., Eugene S. Hong, Donald R. Marks, Kelly Panchoo, And Michael Gross, “Prevalence of Clinically
Elevated Depressive Symptoms in College Athletes and Differences by Gender and Sport,” British Journal of Sports Medicine
50, (2016): 167-71.
41
INTERVIEW: Andrew Wolanin
There was a lot of athletes who were struggling with mental health issues and particularly
depression, due to injuries, due to other variables of participating in sports, that were quite
difficult for them. And those seem to be the things that were getting in the way of performance,
and really had the most need. But there weren't many studies that actually really were able to
identify prevalence of depression across various sports. [:23]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The findings suggest that the rate of depression among student-athletes is similar to that of the
general college population.
Wolanin says that even with counseling centers on college campuses, student-athletes still have
difficulty seeking help.
INTERVIEW: Andrew Wolanin
I think that that some athletes don't have a great experience when they do go for help. Or they're
trying to find somebody for help, it's hard to find somebody that they can relate to and connect
with to be able to help them in that way. And that occurs for athletes, it also occurs with lots of
other populations that are unique as well. [:15]
42
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Experts I spoke to say college sports needs to normalize conversations around mental illness.
The NCAA, college sports’ governing body, is trying to lead that effort. It has a dedicated
website that features mental health data, “educational resources” and tools all geared toward
student-athletes.
There are educational modules, such as how student-athletes can improve their mental wellness
and how coaches can end the stigma of mental health by providing support in a positive
environment.
The NCAA is hoping to encourage athletic environments that facilitate early identification of
mental health problems. It’s providing worksheets to athletic departments to help understand and
support student-athlete mental wellness. Also, the NCAA has a seven-hour mental health
workshop kit available to conference offices to help promote and support student-athlete mental
wellness.
9
There are also numerous checklists and fact sheets available on the website for specific mental
illnesses along with a handbook on different disorders and how the athletes can get help.
10
9
“Mental Health Educational Resources,” NCAA, accessed January 24, 2020, http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-
institute/mental-health-educational-resources
10
Dr. Brian Hainline, “An Introduction to Mind, Body and Sport,” NCAA, July 18, 2017, http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-
institute/introduction-mind-body-and-sport
43
Some student-athletes I spoke to are encouraged by the efforts of the NCAA, but others are
skeptical.
ACTUALITY: MONTAGE OF STUDENT ATHLETES
MARTINA MCCOWAN: We already have to go to class. We already have to go to practice.
Why not teach and enhance the people around us like our coaching staff? Like OK, this is a sign
of this. This is a sign of this. But then that also falls back on how much do coaching staff and
people around really care about the player and the person that that person is instead of the
product or the production or what they're bringing. [:22]
TYLA TURNER: I feel like it's a step. It's a start because there are some who will probably be
more reluctant and there'll be some who will be more into coming forward about their mental
health. [:11]
ALYAA ABDULGHANY: I'm absolutely glad the NCAA is taking initiative for it. But it's very
hard, especially in a society where we're always revolving around digital and social media and
always being connected and sometimes, we get too caught up with the lifestyle of being on
Instagram, or like digital, or Twitter or whatever it may be. So, I really hope that it does do
something great for sports and student-athletes in general, because we do need some sort of
movement and awareness for the things that we go through. [:29]
44
MANUEL VELASQUEZ: Their intent to help student-athletes is amazing. I just don't think it's
realistic in all honesty. As a student-athlete myself, I don't think no matter what I was going
through, I would have the time to find these links and go through these things and do the studies
and do this introspective look on myself because you just don't have the time. [:18]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Because of how close a coach can get to their players, they usually play a big role in how a
student-athlete chooses to approach their own mental health. Old-school coaches are known to
downplay mental illness, saying that athletes have to ignore the pain and push through. Some
coaches have little interest in helping their athletes when mental health concerns arise.
11
But with mental health becoming more of a priority among schools, that mind-set is changing.
Jeff Cammon is head coach of the women’s basketball team at Long Beach State. He says he
didn’t understand mental illness at first and had to educate himself and his staff.
INTERVIEW: Jeff Cammon
What causes it, the impact and effects of it, and what we can do to create an environment where
our young athletes, our student-athletes aren't afraid to communicate. And it's not an
environment where they're not comfortable enough to have that conversation, because they know
that we support them. So we have to create that environment. [:24]
11
Paul Knackstedt, “How Coaches Factor into Student-Athlete Mental Health,” Athletic Business, April 2018,
https://www.athleticbusiness.com/athlete-safety/how-coaches-factor-into-student-athlete-mental-health.html
45
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Research shows that financial worries can affect a college student’s mental health, and that’s also
true for athletes.
Alzena Henry is a former women’s college basketball player at Long Beach State and Cal State
Dominguez Hills. She says worrying about scholarships was especially stressful to her.
INTERVIEW: Alzena Henry
I was from Portland, Oregon, and I came down to California. So like, for me, this was my dream
playing in a D-1 since sixth grade, but at the same time, it felt like I had everything on the line
because I had no other resources there … Personally, it added more pressure and I felt like I was
in survival mode the whole entire time. [:17]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Many people believe the current system of college sports is exploiting student-athletes by
encouraging them to take easier classes to stay eligible. In recent years, there have been calls to
pay college athletes.
The definition of amateurism has changed over the years, and there has been a strong movement
to now offer athletes compensation for use of their name, image and likeness.
12
12
“Amateurism: Definition of Amateurism by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com Also Meaning of Amateurism,” Lexico
Dictionaries, accessed April 14, 2020, https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/amateurism
46
According to Business Insider, the NCAA brings in about $1 billion annually. The student-
athletes? They get no compensation beyond the standard terms of their athletic scholarships.
13
The NCAA argues that paying student-athletes would “distract” them from pursuing what they
really need: an education … and further distance them from the rest of the student body.
But student-athletes say they don’t have time to pursue an education because of the demands of
their college sport.
One USC football player I spoke with sees himself as a product meant for making money for the
school. If he gets paid, his contract is voided.
Coach Cammon at Long Beach State says athletic departments can do a better job of not making
it seem like everything is based on money and that athletic departments do care about their
student-athletes’ well-being.
The recent moves by the State of California and the NCAA to allow college athletes to earn
money from endorsements or personal appearances might help as the student-athletes I talked to
say being paid would help alleviate financial pressures and give them a sense of value.
13
Steve Cameron, “The NCAA brings in $1 billion a year – here’s why it refuses to pay its college athletes,” Business Insider,
March 26, 2019, https://www.businessinsider.com/ncaa-college-athletes-march-madness-basketball-football-sports-not-paid-
2019-3
47
But, it’s a “Catch-22” because there would be more pressure for athletes to perform at a near-
perfect level to justify earning money.
And that could lead to poorer performances in the classroom, and more pressure and mental
illness down the line.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Sports fans are another part of the equation affecting student-athletes and their mental health.
I asked Cecily Wilson, a former college basketball player at Long Beach State, what she thinks
society can do for student-athletes.
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
I think it's just like compassion. We see these athletes on TV. We forget that they go through the
same things we go through. Athletes are people, celebrities are people; they go through everyday
things and we just have to be able to respect either their privacy or what they say or just how
they're feeling. I think that's really important. [:21]
48
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Many people agree that the media can play a role in normalizing mental illness so that fans can
accept it in athletes. Colin Damms is a writer for The Busby Babe, a blog focusing on
Manchester United, an elite soccer team in the English Premier League. He’s also an ardent
college sports fan.
INTERVIEW: Colin Damms
We’re at a point now where it's much more okay to talk about mental illness than to just ignore
it. But I think it is still something that's evolving in sports, because we're kind of at the beginning
stages, especially at a professional level where people are actually talking about their own mental
illness. [:19]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Damms adds that fans need to give athletes credit for having the courage to share their flaws as
well as their strengths.
INTERVIEW: Colin Damms
They're just regular people like the rest of us who have their whole lives apart from sports, that
are able to do these things that we love to watch and admire. The fact that they are able to do
that, while being flawed humans like the rest of us, is something that I think is under appreciated.
[:16]
49
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Fans often idolize their favorite athletes and forget they are human beings. Clinical psychologist
Andrew Wolanin says the public needs to stop correlating physical prowess with good mental
health.
INTERVIEW: Andrew Wolanin
And for some reason our society has always put those two things together. But, you know, more
and more studies are coming out and showing how difficult it is to sort of not have some
experience of a mental health difficulty as you play college athletics or professional athletics or
different things like that – it's extremely stressful. There's a lot of triggers, there's a lot of
negatives that could go into it. And we need to appreciate the work that people do and the skills
that they have, but also really just try to support them as people and human beings. [:27]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Student-athletes like Manuel Velasquez says if fans treated athletes like regular people with
problems, it would be easier for these athletes to feel comfortable discussing their psychological
issues.
50
INTERVIEW: Manuel Velasquez
I think as fans, we need to understand that these athletes are human, they're not robots, they're
people who have struggles just like you and just because they have more notoriety or more
money or more of a public presence, it doesn't mean that everything else is solved for them or
everything is handed on a silver platter for them. Because they're doing everything that they can
to perform at their best. [:24]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Velasquez used to play baseball at William Jessup University, an N.A.I.A. school near
Sacramento. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics represents small colleges and
universities. It’s different from the NCAA in that athletes can be paid in some circumstances –
such as coaching an amateur, recreational or interscholastic-level team and working at summer
camps, so long as a reasonable wage is paid.
14
Velasquez had to work three jobs while he was a student-athlete.
14
“Acts Permitted by NAIA Amateur Code,” NAIA, February 14, 2017, https://www.naia.org/legislative/2016-
17/releases/20170214qxvwy
51
INTERVIEW: Manuel Velasquez
I felt like there was times where I was just going back and forth, back and forth that mentally I
was so drained that I wasn't even at the places where I was at. I just felt completely disconnected
completely away from everything, just in my own world trying to recuperate for 5-10 minutes
and then bounce right back in the real world and the stress that that puts on someone and the
tension that puts on relationships in your life is just a whole ‘nother aspect of it where you're not
even realizing you're putting tension on other aspects of your life because your sole focus is to be
an athlete. [:32]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
By spending all of his energy on athletics, Velasquez says he didn’t have time to focus on his
mental health. But after he graduated, he started talking with a therapist every few weeks to
make sure he’s OK.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The student-athletes I spoke with say the key is speaking up about the importance of mental
health so that it will make it easier for everyone.
52
INTERVIEW: Salvador Carlos
If athletes talk about it, people will accept it … I would probably say be open in communication
just talking about it and I know this sounds cliché and probably a generic answer to you, but that
helped me out you know? … Never isolate yourself because once you start isolating yourself,
then it's over, that dark cloud is gonna get you. [:18]
INTERVIEW: Cecily Wilson
It's important to speak up and speak up for yourself. It's important that you put yourself first … I
think it depends on the person, that person has to know how they're feeling, and they have to be
able to kind of relay that to coaches, trainers, [the] AD, strength coach or you know, whoever
that they feel comfortable talking to about that. [:21]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
The families of college athletes can also play a role in an athletes’ mental fitness. Tyla Turner, a
women’s college basketball player at UC San Diego, opened up to her family and she says the
conversation helped.
INTERVIEW: Tyla Turner
It'll just change that relationship and then change them mentally and make them grow even as a
person. So it just makes life better. You just live life happier. You take this chip off your
shoulder now a weight is lifted. You're just happier. [:16]
53
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Head coach Jeff Cammon agrees with Turner.
INTERVIEW: Jeff Cammon
I think the more we have dialogue about it, and our leaders are coming out and parents and
professional athletes. I think the more they show that it's OK … I think the more dialogue we
have, the more that our student athletes are going to feel comfortable having that conversation
and not being afraid to come forward with the things that they're going through. [:24]
INTERVIEW: Manuel Velasquez
I think athletes, they need to keep trending upwards in the way that they are with people such as
Kevin Love, such as Michael Phelps, such as DeMar DeRozan, and probably plenty of other
athletes I haven't named. They need to keep this idea that it's normal, because it is. It is normal to
have these struggles and it is normal to have these difficulties in life because we're people and
like you said, mental health is prejudice to none. [:23]
INTERVIEW: Alyaa Abdulghany
You know, we have all these celebrities and high-end people talking about mental health. But we
don't talk about it ourselves. And I think we need to be more comfortable in each other … So I
think we just need to be OK with shedding a couple of tears or getting angry once in a while.
[:14]
54
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Lastly, Victoria Garrick says it’s important for athletes to remember there are people willing to
help.
INTERVIEW: Victoria Garrick
I would tell them to remember that they are not flawed and they're not going to be ostracized
from everyone else because they're experiencing something that is so universal … So I would
just remind them that they are not alone. [:18]
HOST: Jarrod Castillo
Maintaining mental fitness – along with physical fitness – shouldn’t be seen as taboo. With this
podcast, I hope the conversation around mental health becomes more accepted among the
general population and student-athletes, who have been conditioned to ignore their feelings for
fear it will make them look weak.
Acknowledging and accepting that there may be a problem is not weak – it’s the best and
strongest thing you can do for yourself. Getting help is the first step in a journey of happiness.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
Thank you so very much for taking the time to listen to all three episodes. I could not have done
it without the help of my committee chair: Willa Seidenberg. Also, thanks to committee
members Alan Abrahamson and Jeff Fellenzer.
55
Thank you to my family for dealing with my stress and anxieties throughout this long and
arduous process. It wasn’t easy, but we did it and here we are.
I also want to thank all the current and former student-athletes that took time out of their very
busy schedules to be interviewed. Thank you for trusting me with your stories and life
experiences, and I hope they will help mobilize more change in the future.
And finally, to you, the listener. I want to thank you very much for taking the time to listen. I
hope listening to this podcast helped you in some way, shape or form, be it something you
learned or how you will approach the issues surrounding mental health in the future.
The Awareness Podcast was produced by me, Jarrod Castillo, at USC’s Annenberg School for
Communication and Journalism. Thank you so much for listening.
MUSIC: “Bright Eyed Blues.” Unicorn Heads
56
Summary
Thesis Audio: https://omny.fm/shows/the-awareness-podcast
Athletes have long been considered among the most admired people in society; look no
further than musicians and other celebrities trying to be professional athletes. Names such as
country singer Garth Brooks trying out for various Major League Baseball teams, Mickey
Rourke attempting to have a boxing career and Will Ferrell playing all nine positions on a
baseball team – to raise money for charity – come to mind. Children all around the world grow
up watching athletes like Michael Jordan and Cristiano Ronaldo, dreaming that one day, they
could be in the same situation: playing a game they love for money and the fame that comes with
it. While the general public sees the end product on the court or on the pitch, what they don’t see
are the countless hours working out, exercising and sacrificing their bodies behind closed doors
to have an opportunity to be a part of the one percent. Additionally, the public doesn’t see the
effect long nights, early mornings and other stressors have on athletes, particularly on their
mental health. After NBA superstars DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love and Michael Phelps came
forward with their mental health issues, I decided to delve deeper into what may cause student-
athletes to develop negative mental health issues.
I chose to speak about student-athletes’ mental health because they are among the most
underreported groups dealing with mental illness. Only 10 % of all student-athletes with mental
health issues get help. In all, 35% of elite athletes have a mental illness such as anxiety,
depression and so on. As more college students are becoming open to the idea of speaking out
about mental health, student-athletes don’t have the same luxury. If they were to speak out, they
57
could be seen as “weak” or having a “problem” in a world where strength and endurance are
celebrated. The truth is, millions of people around the United States are dealing with mental
illness. As a result, after reading numerous articles about athletes and student-athletes that have
mental health issues as well as cases where athletes have taken their lives because of unresolved
mental illness such as Tyler Hilinski and Madison Holleran, I decided to reach out to current and
former student-athletes to get their insights on how sports – and the culture around sports – has
affected their mental health.
The podcast format allowed me to present listeners with the stories of these particular
athletes in a way that is more impactful than just reading it from a page. It can be more
captivating and engrossing to hear their voices, with all their emotion, passion and resiliency,
speak about their experiences. It is more intimate because it feels like the student-athlete is
talking to each listener and having a conversation with them. My hope is that by having a variety
of voices, the conversation about a student-athlete’s – and athletes in general – mental health will
be a conversation that is met with open arms, instead of derision.
58
Bibliography - Interviews
Interview with McCowan, Martina on November 25, 2019
Interview with Garrick, Victoria on December 3, 2019
Interview with Soler, Kelly on January 11, 2020
Interview with Abdulghany, Alyaa on February 6, 2020
Interview with Carlos, Salvador on February 10, 2020
Interview with Douglass, Liam on February 13, 2020
Interview with Trout, Trevor on February 15, 2020
Interview with Wilson, Cecily on February 21, 2020
Interview with Patterson, Cameron on March 27, 2020
Interview with Henry, Alzena on March 28, 2020
Interview with Turner, Tyla on March 29, 2020
Interview with Velasquez, Manuel on June 2, 2020
Interview with Damms, Colin on June 4, 2020
Interview with Wolanin, Andrew on June 8, 2020
Interview with Cammon, Jeff on June 13, 2020
59
Bibliography - Text
“22 Male Athletes Speaking Out About Depression.” 2019. HeadsUpGuys. August 19, 2019.
https://headsupguys.org/22-male-athletes-speaking-depression/.
A;, Ströhle. 2018. “Sports Psychiatry: Mental Health and Mental Disorders in Athletes and
Exercise Treatment of Mental Disorders.” European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical
Neuroscience. U.S. National Library of Medicine. March 21, 2018.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29564546/.
“Acts Permitted by NAIA Amateur Code.” 2017. NAIA. February 14, 2017.
https://www.naia.org/legislative/2016-17/releases/20170214qxvwy.
Affleck, John, and Sports Journalism and Society. 2019. “Why It Matters That More Athletes
Are Talking about Their Mental Health.” The Conversation. July 2, 2019.
https://theconversation.com/why-it-matters-that-more-athletes-are-talking-about-their-mental-
health-118667.
Aldridge, David. 2018. “NBA, NBPA Taking Steps to Further Address Mental Wellness Issues
for Players.” NBA.com. NBA.com. March 12, 2018.
https://www.nba.com/article/2018/03/12/morning-tip-nba-nbpa-addressing-mental-wellness-
issues.
60
“Amateurism: Definition of Amateurism by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com Also Meaning of
Amateurism.” n.d. Lexico Dictionaries | English. Lexico Dictionaries. Accessed April 14,
2020. https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/amateurism.
Cameron, Steve. 2019. “The NCAA Brings in $1 Billion a Year - Here's Why It Refuses to Pay
Its College Athletes.” Business Insider. Business Insider. March 26, 2019.
https://www.businessinsider.com/ncaa-college-athletes-march-madness-basketball-football-
sports-not-paid-2019-3.
Flanagan, Linda. 2019. “Why Are So Many Teen Athletes Struggling With Depression?” The
Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company. April 17, 2019.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/04/teen-athletes-mental-illness/586720/.
“For Student-Athletes' Mental Health.” 2017. The New York Times. The New York Times.
March 8, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/ncaa/for-student-athletes-mental-
health.html.
Hainline, Brian. 2017. “An Introduction to Mind, Body and Sport.” NCAA.org - The Official
Site of the NCAA. July 18, 2017. http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/introduction-
mind-body-and-sport.
61
Ingle, Sean. 2019. “Elite Sport Is Gradually Waking up to Widespread Mental Health Issues |
Sean Ingle.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. March 4, 2019.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/mar/04/elite-sport-mental-health.
Knackstedt, Paul. 2018. How Coaches Factor into Student-Athlete Mental Health. April 2018.
https://www.athleticbusiness.com/athlete-safety/how-coaches-factor-into-student-athlete-
mental-health.html.
Lee, Amber. 2017. “Celebrities Who Became Wannabe Athletes.” Bleacher Report. Bleacher
Report. September 15, 2017. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2447030-celebrities-who-
turned-wanna-be-athletes.
Lubarsky, Olivia. n.d. “The Invisible Competition: Mental Health Within Athletics.” Mental
Health America. Accessed March 15, 2020. https://www.mhanational.org/blog/invisible-
competition-mental-health-within-athletics.
“Mental Health.” n.d. NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. Accessed September 2, 2019.
http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/mental-health.
“Mental Health and Athletes.” n.d. Athletes for Hope. Accessed March 11, 2020.
http://www.athletesforhope.org/2019/05/mental-health-and-athletes/.
62
“Mental Health Educational Resources.” 2020. NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA.
January 24, 2020. http://www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/mental-health-educational-
resources.
“Mental Illness.” 2019. National Institute of Mental Health. U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. February 2019. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-
illness.shtml.
“NCAA Faces Uphill Battle Getting Mental Health Care to Student Athletes.” 2019. GlobalSport
Matters. August 21, 2019. https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2019/08/21/ncaa-faces-
uphill-battle-getting-mental-health-care-to-student-athletes/.
“Pokémon Go May Boost Mental and Physical Health.” 2018. Medscape. May 7, 2018.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/896265.
Rice, Simon M., Rosemary Purcell, Stefanie De Silva, Daveena Mawren, Patrick D. McGorry,
and Alexandra G. Parker. 2016. “The Mental Health of Elite Athletes: A Narrative Systematic
Review.” Sports Medicine 46 (9): 1333–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0492-2.
“Search: The Players' Tribune: The Voice of the Game.” n.d. Search | The Players' Tribune | The
Voice of the Game. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-
us/search?q=mental health.
63
Smith, Stacy L., Marc Choueiti, Angel Choi, Katherine Pieper, and Christine Moutier. 2019.
“Mental Health Conditions in Film & TV: Portrayals That Dehumanize and Trivialize
Characters.” The David and Lura Lovell Foundation. May 2019.
http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-study-mental-health-media_052019.pdf.
“Stigma of Mental Health Issues a Barrier to Treatment for Athletes.” 2019. GlobalSport
Matters. April 18, 2019. https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2018/04/10/stigma-of-mental-
health-issues-a-barrier-to-treatment-for-athletes/.
Wolanin, Andrew T., Eugene S. Hong, Donald R. Marks, Kelly Panchoo, and Michael Gross.
2016. “Prevalence of Clinically Elevated Depressive Symptoms in College Athletes and
Differences by Gender and Sport.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 50 (3): 167–71.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095756.
64
Bibliography - Video
ESPN, “DeMar DeRozan Opens up About Mental Health: 'It's all about helping others' | ESPN,”
YouTube video, 2:26, March 2, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE93xahPxaE&t=75s
ESPN, “Kevin Love Details His Battles With Mental Illness | ESPN,” YouTube video, 5:37,
August 20, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ov9XZzByA
Guardian Sport, “'It's OK to Not Be OK': What Top Athletes Have Said About Mental Health in
Sport,” YouTube video, 2:08, October 10, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
N5RT5vXEus
TEDx Talks, “Athletes and Mental Health: The Hidden Opponent | Victoria Garrick |
TEDxUSC,” YouTube video, 21:13, June 2, 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdk7pLpbIls
TEDx Talks, “Toxicity of Sport Culture on Athletes’ Mental Health | Hillary Cauthen |
TEDxTexasStateUniversity,” YouTube video, 15:47, January 23, 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=UzTP3f_6coA
TheLeapTV, “Kobe Bryant | Mamba Mentality | USC Performance Science Institute,” YouTube
video, 1:00:06, April 25, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-vgyEbtPU&t=2s
65
TODAY, “Michael Phelps Opens Up About Struggles With Anxiety: ‘I Didn’t Want to Be Alive
Anymore’ | TODAY,” YouTube video, 10:01, October 19, 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao4fEglWqms
66
Filmography
ESPN, “DeMar DeRozan Opens up About Mental Health: 'It's All About Helping Others' |
ESPN,” YouTube video, March 2, 2018,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE93xahPxaE&t=75s
ESPN, “Kevin Love Details His Battles With Mental Illness | ESPN,” YouTube video, August
20, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ov9XZzByA
TheLeapTV, “Kobe Bryant | Mamba Mentality | USC Performance Science Institute,” YouTube
video, 1:00:06, April 25, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-vgyEbtPU&t=2s
67
Discography
Unicorn Heads, “Bright Eyed Blues,” 2020, YouTube video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmxAf147dd4
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
This thesis takes the form of an audio podcast series that explores the issue of mental health among student-athletes and athletes as a whole. The primary goal of this thesis is to showcase how balancing sports, personal and academic lives can negatively affect a student-athlete’s mental health. It’s intended to educate the general public on the struggles and issues that affect student-athletes, what they go through on a daily basis, and the sacrifices they make for a good game on the field, on the court or wherever they may play. ❧ The main reason I wanted to explore how sports can negatively impact a student-athlete’s—and athletes as a whole—mental health came after seeing numerous elite athletes such as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan and the most decorated Olympian of all time, swimmer Michael Phelps, talk about their issues with mental health and their struggles with it, specifically with Love’s account of having a panic attack during a basketball game and Phelps’ battle with depression. The trio is part of the 35% of athletes that suffer from a mental health crisis, according to data compiled by Athletes for Hope, a nonprofit founded in 2007 that educates, encourages and assists athletes in their efforts to contribute to their community and other causes. Also, reading various journalistic and scholarly articles helped me realize that although athletes are always exercising, it’s those moments of trying to be perfect that might prove to be harmful to their mental health. Exercise has generally been accepted as one of the more effective ways of dealing with mental health issues. Hearing that elite athletes have mental health issues surprised me. If over-exercising to attain perfection can add stress and anxiety to a professional, I wondered how that—along with dealing with school and a personal life—can affect a student-athlete over time. ❧ During my exploration of how sports can negatively impact an athlete’s mental health, I focused more on student-athletes because they are one of the more underrepresented groups having conversations around mental health and addressing mental health concerns. For example, while Episode One mainly centered around a mental health professional, an extensive amount of work went into Episode Two, making sure the student-athletes I interviewed were able to express their feelings and experiences as an athlete. In Episode Three, I combined the athlete’s voice along with a fan, coach and mental health professionals to paint a more complete picture of the true components of athletics. In doing so, I was able to better understand that student-athletes live much more complicated lives than most of the public knows. It’s not just playing sports and getting a free education: There are contracts to be signed, event appearances to attend and an incredible time commitment for their sport. So much so that everything revolves around the sport and making sure every hour of their day is accounted for. ❧ This series aims to give the listener a behind-the-curtain look into what a student-athlete’s life is like away from the public eye. It delves into how balancing their academic, personal and sports lives can ultimately be detrimental to their mental health, and how the general public can better understand and appreciate the complexity and layers of an athlete’s life.
Linked assets
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
Conceptually similar
PDF
Going for green: how athletes make a career out of sports
PDF
The love of the game: a snapshot of USC club sports
PDF
Overcoming mental health: the silent athlete kryptonite
PDF
Diversity in sports: The female athlete's college experience
PDF
The road to Tokyo 2021: uncovering the Olympics postponement in a COVID-19 world
PDF
Athletes and activism: a look back at athletes that didn’t “stick to sports”
PDF
Outfit: a queer fashion podcast that explores the relationship between the LGBTQ community and their clothing
PDF
Field to faith: two men who accomplish, and sacrifice, their dream in professional sports on the altar of full time ministry
PDF
Basketball in Oakland: a proud history
PDF
NIL: the one-year anniversary of a money-maker or just one more thing for the athlete to deal with?
PDF
Making USC football great again
PDF
The future of esports in the Olympics
PDF
Improving student-athlete mental health services: addressing the mental health needs of college student-athletes
PDF
Time out for mental health: barriers and strategies for high school coaches
PDF
The hidden opponent: how Black athletes fight the taboo of mental illness in sports
PDF
The everyday Olympics: an introduction to the many faces of Special Olympics
PDF
The drive home: a podcasting journey
PDF
Coming of age through my eyes
PDF
Inseparable: a manifesto for the separation of art and artist
PDF
Second-generation Korean-American students' mental health experiences in high school
Asset Metadata
Creator
Castillo, Jarrod Franz Keeno
(author)
Core Title
The Awareness Podcast: a look into how sports can negatively affect a student-athlete's mental health
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Specialized Journalism
Publication Date
07/24/2020
Defense Date
07/22/2020
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
health,Mental Health,OAI-PMH Harvest,School,Sports,student-athletes
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Seidenberg, Willa (
committee chair
), Abrahamson, Alan (
committee member
), Fellenzer, Jeff (
committee member
)
Creator Email
jarrodc09@gmail.com,jfcastil@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-346808
Unique identifier
UC11666099
Identifier
etd-CastilloJa-8742.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-346808 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-CastilloJa-8742.pdf
Dmrecord
346808
Document Type
Thesis
Rights
Castillo, Jarrod Franz Keeno
Type
texts
Source
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...
Repository Name
University of Southern California Digital Library
Repository Location
USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA
Tags
student-athletes