Hidden Opponent: Otter Athletics raises awareness, provides resources for mental health care

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in five American adults will face a mental health challenge in the coming year. One in five American children either currently or at some point during their life, have had a serious mental illness. For those whose lives, from all outward appearances, appear to be the picture of health and vitality — such as collegiate student-athletes — this hidden opponent of mental illness can be debilitating and all too often deadly.

Since becoming Cal State Monterey Bay Director of Athletics, Kirby Garry recognized the need for mental health awareness, education, and support for Otter student-athletes. Otter student-athletes have access to resources to help them recognize and deal with mental health issues using emerging resources such as the “Mental Health Best Practices” guide published by the NCAA’s Sports Science Institute and support from CSUMB’s Personal Growth and Counseling Center or PGC, and faculty and staff in the Department of Kinesiology.

“The first time we surveyed our incoming student-athletes (in 2016), we found 20% said they were dealing with some kind of anxiety or stress,” says Garry. "To have 20% of our students raise their hand before we even got started, it gave us a better feel for where they were mentally.”

The message, however, doesn’t always get through when it‘s coming from coaches, teachers or administrators. That’s where The Hidden Opponent comes in to play. Founded by former Stanford volleyball student-athlete Victoria Garrick, THO is an accredited nonprofit advocacy group that raises awareness about mental health and addresses the stigma within the sports culture.

"Mental health resources for student-athletes are more available than ever. We encourage everyone to visit The Hidden Opponent website. We as athletes want to shine light on mental health being just as important as physical health, and honor the lives lost as a result of lacking mental health resources in athletics,” says Otter volleyball student-athlete Jackie Wahl, a THO campus captain at CSUMB.

“Here at CSUMB, The Hidden Opponent hopes to spread awareness to end the stigma within all sports teams and to create a space where athletes feel heard and appreciated within their team cultures. This will increase acceptance and encourage athletes to reach out for help."

CSUMB’s THO chapter was founded in 2021 with volleyball players Aly Fullbright and Kaila Uota as its first campus captains. It continues to grow and expand to other Otter sports, most recently appearing at a CSUMB water polo match against Azusa Pacific University, the Mental Health Awareness Game, where student-athlete volunteers and members of the PGCC were on hand to raise support and awareness.

“Mental health is one of those things that most people don’t think they need to take care of because you can’t physically see it. It’s important to take note that the brain needs just as much self-care as the body,” says Otter water polo student-athlete Grace Mensing.

“Hosting The Mental Health Awareness Game served as a reminder that everyone struggles mentally, and it’s important to remind yourself why you matter.”

“Now, perhaps more than ever, we need to be able to talk about mental health,” says CSUMB Water Polo Head Coach Emily Schmitt. “College athletics is demanding and can be overwhelming. We must normalize talking about and treating mental health just like we do for our student-athletes' physical health.”

“We’ve tried to build a culture that makes it just as normal to seek care for mental health as for a sprained ankle,” adds Garry.