Mindful athletics

That’s the question pursued by JoAnne Bullard, an associate professor of health and exercise science at the Rowan-Virtua Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing & Health Professions. 

As much an advocate as she is a scholar, Bullard works to improve the mental health of Division III student-athletes. Drawing on her own experience as a former student-athlete, her training in applied sport psychology and her role as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Faculty Athletics Representative, she develops supportive intervention programs like PROF Academy and the Mindful Athletic Program.

Created in 2017 with an NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant, PROF Academy teaches stress management and anxiety reduction techniques, as well as career and life transition skills. In 2022, also with NCAA support, Bullard developed the Mindful Athlete Program, which aims to improve student-athlete well-being through yoga, breath work and self-awareness training. More than a hundred student-athletes have benefited from these programs so far. Bullard hopes that student-athletes can gain a better understanding of themselves, their needs and how to overcome the stigma of seeking support. 

“When student-athletes need help, they might wonder, ‘What will coach think? What will my teammates think?’ Helping them rewrite that is what’s so important in my research,” she says. “And when student-athletes speak about how much they’ve learned about themselves or how they’ve been able to use these strategies on their own, that they’re able to take what they’re learning and share it with others—that’s what makes me happy.”

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