Improve mental fitness with sports psychology

OMAHA (KMTV) – Universities are investing in sports psychologists to give their athletes an extra athletic boost.

• The UN sports psychologist Dr. Lindsey Hauser has worked with Maverick student-athletes over the past year to improve their mental health.
• She says sports psychology helps on the field, but she also talks about non-sports issues like anxiety, adjusting to college life and more.

TRANSCRIPT:

Physical fitness is an essential part of sport, but mental fitness is also important.

UNO hired its first sports psychologist last year to help student-athletes perform at their best.

And the time and effort – from the university and the student-athletes – is in service of the love of competition.

“I think more and more people are recognizing the need to strengthen our brains in the same way we strengthen our bodies,” said Dr. Lindsey Hauser, associate athletic director for clinical and performance psychology at UNO.

Since August 2023 [Dr. Hauser] has worked with UNO athletes to improve their mental health on and off the field.

“Elite athletes become elite athletes because they are really good at what they do. They’re good at doing really difficult things,” she said. “But sometimes these hard things get really, really hard and our bodies and our brains compete with each other.

“Sports psychology fits into this field because it gives students and athletes skills and tools to do those hard things and exercise that muscle, the brain, on a regular basis. So when they find themselves in tough situations: maybe they’re down and there’s only a few minutes left… They have the mental capacity to come back and the focus to come back and do what they’re in have to do at this moment.

Dr. Hauser says she also discusses non-sports-related mental health issues as needed, such as adjusting to college life, anxiety and more.

“If you use it, if you don’t use it … it’s just kind of a security blanket, knowing that there’s someone there who’s not a coach, not your teammate, not your roommate, not your parent,” UNO Softball said. Senior shortstop Maggie O’Brien said, “It’s just a really nice resource to have in mind.”

Dr. Hauser also says that working with her is a commitment.

“People think that when they come to me and see me, they have a ‘fix it’ mentality and say, ‘Something’s broken, go to Lindsey.'” My support for a student-athlete helps him build a toolbox to truly be the best version of yourself on and off the field. And if we can look at it with a “build it” mentality instead of a “fix” mentality, I think the time, energy and investment can speak for itself.

“It’s so important for people to remember that while people get better on their playing field, they actually become better versions of themselves everywhere they go.”