McCurdy: Mental health more important than ever for athletes competing in pandemic – Marion Star

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann watches his team from the sideline during the first half of Sunday's NCAA basketball game against the UMass Lowell River Hawks at Value City Arena in Columbus on November 10, 2019. Ohio State won the game 76-56. [Barbara J. Perenic/Dispatch](Photo: Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch)

COLUMBUS - We worry about the health of our athletes.

How's the ankle? Is the shoulder sore? How serious is the knee injury? Is it a concussion?

But in the last couple of seasons thanks in large part to Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love admitting he has struggles mental health has entered the equation.

How's he feeling? How's she doing?

The Ohio State men's basketball team last season saw standout freshman guard D.J. Carton leave the team at midseason to treat his mental health. He eventually left the team and transferred, but mental health awareness didn't leave.

To believe Chris Holtmann, his approach has always been to coach the body and the mind of his players.

At the start of an unprecedented season where college basketball is attempting to play in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic where instability is ever present and change is inevitable, he finds connecting to the whole person is needed more than ever.

"I think as much as anything you want to have open dialogue," Holtmann said.

Just last week when it was announced that no fans not even parents are allowed to watch games on campus to start the season, it was a chance to take the temperature of his players and better find out how they're doing.

"I actually followed back up the day after we talked about it because the news I got was right before a practice and I felt I didnt give it the necessary conversation that it needed among our group, so I circled back the next day and asked them what their reaction to it was and how did they feel as I put on my amateur psychologist hat there for a moment," he said.

More than ever keeping up lines of communication is key.

"They were disappointed, but they moved on quickly and hope there will be a change and they can get their parents to come see them play," he said.

Playing in a pandemic and dealing with those challenges doesn't make the other pressures go away. Just the opposite.

His players are high profile people on campus who draw attention. They're also playing in the social media age where their triumphs and faults are being hashed and rehashed for the world to see one pixel at a time.

Because of it, pressure can get applied exponentially compared to previous generations of athletes.

"That conversation about limiting your consumption from the outside is one that weve had with our team in the offseason," Holtmann said."I think you really have to challenge your players to make sure they are understanding where they are finding their truth in who they are as players and who they are as people."

Holtmann said his hope is that his guys are tapping into the right folks and the right forms for that truth and honesty.

"I think when we do consume the appropriate truth from those people that we really value their opinion, what it does is it helps us grow and bring us great perspective," he said."When Ive went counter to that is when I felt myself lacking in perspective the most. We try to challenge our players to have great discipline in that area and knowing in todays world theres a lot of noise."

Some find music in the noise. Others become distracted. Some hear nothing. Others can't turn it down, let alone off.

And that's why we need to worry about the total health of athletes, not just the ankles, shoulders and knees.

Rob McCurdy is the sports writer at the Marion Star and for USA Today Network-Ohio, and he can be reached at rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, Twitter @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.

Rob McCurdy, Marion Star and USA Today Network-Ohio(Photo: File photo)

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McCurdy: Mental health more important than ever for athletes competing in pandemic - Marion Star