When we hear the phrase mental health, we often think about mental health struggles or mental illness. It is important to remember we all have mental health as mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health impacts our performances and how we view ourselves in and out of sport. Mental health affects out we think, what we feel, and how we behave or make choices. Mental health determines how we handle stressors, connect with those around us, and make decisions for our lives. In working with our athletes, we are making sure to meet the needs wherever they fall on the continuum of mental health from optimizing performance in and out of the water, to navigating stressors or anxieties, and treating mental illness.
To meet this need and demand for our athletes in Feb, USA Swimming announced the hiring of Emily Klueh as its first Manager of Mental Health and Emotional Wellness. As a licensed mental health and sport performance therapist, Klueh will provide direct care to members of the National and National Junior Teams as well as education to athletes and coaches on a wide variety of mental health, emotional wellness, and holistic practices and resources. Emily partners with the USOPC practitioners and ensures all athletes find a practitioner that best fits their needs. As a National Team alum, Klueh has the background and experiences to best serve the current group of National Team athletes. To learn more about the hiring of Emily Klueh, check out the press release here.
USA Swimming is also proud to offer our AthleteAssist program to all members of our National Team. The AthleteAssist program allows National Team and Olympic Team members to use funds towards therapy with a licensed provider of their choice. Therapists invoice USA Swimming directly so that payment never falls on the shoulders of the athletes and cost is never a reason why a National Team athlete does not seek assistance. USA Swimming additionally allows National Team athletes to utilize Talkspace free of charge. Talkspace is a nationwide network of more than 5,000 licensed therapists who connect with individuals privately through text, audio, or visual conversations.
The USA Swimming National Team has assessed the need to create a formal library of mental health resources and materials for National Team athletes. This includes chats with mental health experts, access to educational resources, and coach specific best practices trainings. If you are interested in funding mental health education services for National Team athletes, please contact the USA Swimming Foundation at foundation@usaswimming.org.