Next Level Mentality with Dr. Gunter, Dr. Auerbach, and Aidan Wing

Hello and thank you for joining our next level mentality session. My name is Dr. Kenza Gunter and I am the Director of Mind Health here within the mba. And I am joined by two wonderful panelists who I will introduce momentarily. And we are here today to talk to you about mental health and how focusing on your mental health and wellness is really an essential part of achieving excellence and wellness both on and off the court. And so we're hoping to have an engaging conversation. Maybe you'll learn some new things, learn some tips and strategies that you may be able to apply in your own life as you think through navigating your mental health. May is Mental health awareness Month. And so we really are looking forward to this conversation. And with me I have Dr. Alex Auerbach, who is the Director of Wellness and Development with the Toronto Raptors. And we also have with us Aiden Wing Jr. Who is a member of our Junior NBA Court of Leaders and an elite multi sport athlete. So thank you both for being here with me today for this important conversation. What we know is over the past several years there have been increased discussions about mental health, particularly the intersection of mental health and in the world of sport, with athletes and coaches alike speaking out about their mental health experiences and journeys. And so what I want to know from both of you as we kind of start this discussion is when I say the phrase mental health, what does that mean to you? What comes to mind for you? Aiden, maybe we could start with you.

To me, mental health is just like being prepared and ready for anything that's going to come at you from the inside. Like always staying on your toes and never really ever trying to get too surprised about anything.

Yeah. So that idea of being mentally prepared. Right. And being ready for whatever comes your way so that you can respond to the moment rather, rather than just reacting. Thank you, Alex. For you, when I say mental health, what comes to mind?

Yeah, well, first, thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to be here. I guess for me, when I think of mental health, I think of the spectrum of wellness. So I think on one side of the spectrum we've got this idea of illness, and on the other side we've got this idea of flourishing. And we're all somewhere on that spectrum at any given point trying to figure out how to sort of move toward flourishing as much as we can. As I've started to think about it more recently, an idea I've played with a bit is the concept of mental fitness, because I like that in that it draws a nice parallel to physical Fitness. And I think as I start to think of mental health more that way, it becomes a little bit more of a skill we can train or a thing we can develop versus a state that we're in or a status that we have. When I hear mental health from you, that's what comes up for me is both that spectrum, but then also the idea that this is really something we can train and develop and work on. This isn't a concept where it's bestowed upon us. We have some control to change our mental health.

Right. And it's something that we all have. I hear that in both of your answers. It's not a situation where some people have mental health and some people don't. We all have mental health. So we all need to think through and as you said, Alex, the skills that we can use to go back to what you said, Aiden, to be more prepared for what life may bring our way. So I love that as we think about the fact that these conversations are happening more in the sports space, again, more athletes are talking about it. Why do you all think it's important for us to have this conversation as it relates to young athletes? Why is it important to talk about mental health here?

I feel like a lot of kids like my age at least I know a lot of teammates that I have that like struggle with mental health and sometimes they aren't like really always prepared or like they'll make a mistake and they'll. They need like somebody to come there and pick them up. So it's just really like being able to use your. If you have a strong mental health, trying to help someone that might not have as much as good of a mental health game as you.

Absolutely. So not only developing your skills but thinking about how you can help other people. Right. And I hear you saying there are a lot of kids who are dealing with mental health related concerns. Right. And I think sometimes we don't think about kids as dealing with challenges and struggles, Aiden, but I really appreciate you putting that out there that, you know, we need to talk about it because it's a part of kids experience. Right. And we need to be able to help them help themselves and to help others. So Alex, why is it important for you?

I think you hit the nail on the head. I think it sort of goes undiscussed a bit in youth and in youth sport for sure. And I think we do know that mental health concerns are on the rise in younger people and in college certainly. And so I think starting to have the conversation is really important and I Think sport is a really unique place to develop a lot of skills that help with mental health. Right? Building good relationships, integrating physical activity into your daily life, learning how to open up more about your own experience and give and receive support. And so I think having this conversation in this space is really important. And then of course, I think it's important for parents to start to think about this part of the dynamic too, because often I think sport is thought of as this fun place where we go to get away. And that may be true, but there's also a lot of other pressure that comes with participating in youth sport and moving on up in elite sport.

So I absolutely want to get to the parents in just a moment. But before we get there, Alex, I want to ask you a little bit about what you're seeing. Because if we think about the past year and some change that we have experienced, navigating the COVID pandemic, and how that really impacted not only our lives in general, but particularly also our ability to even participate in sport, like the world of sport shut down and a lot of kids were unable to, to finish seasons. They lost the ability to perform. And that was a huge loss for a lot of athletes. And so, Aidan, certainly want to get your thoughts in here too. But just thinking about the year that we've had, now we are reintegrating back into sport, but what are some of the primary concerns or mental health related challenges that you're seeing as we navigate this continued kind of unprecedented time that we're in?

I think the big two that come to mind for me are the real grief that comes with missing a year of competing, you know, missing the opportunity to be around friends and teammates, but also, you know, missing the opportunity to put all that training into practice and really see the results pay off and develop our skills in a real way. So I think there's a real sense of grief and loss around that. And I think accompanying that is this loss of identity. You know, a lot of young athletes, professional athletes, you know, sport is a big part of who they are and how they see themselves. And having that being, you know, reduced or taken away over the course of the last year, I think has led people to search a little bit for who am I without this game and what does this mean for me when sport does stop or if I'm not able to play anymore? And so, you know, I think there will be a temptation to rush back in as quickly as we can. And I can understand that. And I also think, you know, we should be mindful of potentially Sort of overdoing it the other way. Right. And you know, kiltering out of balance the other way. And so I think that's something that's on my mind. Looking to the future a bit too is just this idea of how do we transition back into sport and back into the new normal as effectively as possible and make sure we're taking with us some of the things that have actually helped us stay healthy and well during the last year and then, you know, bring back some of the things that we missed before that.

Absolutely. So not wanting to be out of balance in either way. Aiden, I see you nodding a great deal over there. As Alex was talking about some of the impacts of not being able to participate in sport, I was wondering if you would be willing to share a little bit more about your experience of navigating the COVID year and now returning into participation situation.

Yeah, it's been really tough au wise that you don't get to travel with your team as much and be in a hotel and that really affects the way you play. Like, believe it or not, like just being in a hotel and being around your guys, like it's, it's tough to play and, and build chemistry without doing that. And also something else that was said is, is like working, working on your game and having that translate. Something that I found hard to do is finding what I need to work on in game because there's less games that have been played. So really just like finding what I need to work on, seeing where I stand and seeing what I need to improve on has been really tough for me.

Yeah. So I can definitely hear the time away, not only was it time away from the game, but time away from your team. Right. And that the social aspect of sports that we really get from participation and how that affected your mentality and your overall feelings. And like you said, coming back to it, it's kind of reassessing where you are. Right. Hopefully not expecting yourself to be in the same place and kind of really assessing where do I need to work, what do I need to work on and how can I grow from this moment as opposed to trying to pick up where we left off. Right. Because that's just not really possible given that so much time has passed. And so what are some of the benefits that you all have seen to returning? We know it's still challenging, we still have things to consider. But certainly there are some benefits to getting back on the court, getting back around your friends and your team. So what are some of the big benefits that you've seen from that something.

That we played last weekend. Just like being able to see the packed courts again is something that I really like to see. And just to be around a bunch of people that love to watch basketball and play basketball, it's something that's really special. I don't think that you see that in other sports. Like, the atmosphere is just crazy.

Yeah. The love of the game and the energy that you get. Right. That certainly sounds like something that has really been impactful for you. And so, Alex, you've been traveling this season, right, with the Raptors. You all are displaced a bit being located in Tampa. But what do you see as been the benefit of being back in the mix?

I think Aiden hit the nail on the head. Getting to do what you love and seeing the players and staff have an opportunity to really engage with the sport that they've dedicated so much of their life to is wonderful. And you can see some of that passion come back. And I think there have been some extensions of that, too, that have been great. Having the opportunity for teammates to build relationships again, for staff to see each other again and interact. Periodic opportunities to share a meal or things that we're very fortunate to be able to do in the context of a pandemic. And the more stringent protocols we're under, it allows for a little bit more safety in some of those activities. And so I think it's been really, really nice to just have that social element back and to be around and feel the energy. And I think similarly, having fans of varying amounts depending on where we're playing and the rules in each state. But it's also been nice to just give fans an opportunity to return to something that feels normal for them, too. And to hear sort of the joy that comes back from watching the game has. Awesome.

Absolutely. You talk about the energy that comes from the love that you feel from others around the game. I want to specifically talk about parents and coaches right quick. We touched on that earlier. But in thinking back to this idea of mental health. Right. And how we can facilitate mental health for our athletes and those who are participating, what role do you think coaches and parents play in encouraging athletes to take care of themselves and in promoting that focus on mental health, what role do our parents and our coaches play?

Play.

Alex, what role do coaches play for you?

Yeah. So we'll start with coaches, I guess. Coaches. I think coaches are really influential in the way players understand how to take care of their mental health. And I'm fortunate to work with a really talented coaching staff that does Prioritize understanding how to get the best out of themselves and want that for the players. And so I think the messaging around self care, the messaging around sleep, the messaging around these different dimensions of what it means to take care of our mental health is really, really important. And coaches play a massive part in making sure those messages get shared and communicated well and prioritized. And I think players really come to sort of embody what they see from their coach and internalize what they see from their coach. And so if coaches are sending really positive messages about a degree of harmony, balance, sleep, self care, performance, all those things players really start to think about in a more kind of holistic and healthy way. And that makes it easier for us to manage the ups and downs and manage the stresses of a season. And so I think coaches play a really, really critical role in how they communicate about that.

Aiden, we know that mental health is important for you and you've already shared how many kids are experiencing different mental health challenges. And so what role do you think parents and coaches play in promoting athlete mental health?

I think coaches play a major role and players mental health not only on the court, but off the court, like being in hotel rooms, helping them, like setting a bedtime or maybe it's taking phones or something like that to make sure that they get sleep and get the rest and make sure that they're prepared or to help their performance on the court. Also making sure that we stretch and we're focused on our breathing is something that is also really important to the program that I play with. At least we spend a lot of time with stretching and breathing and stuff like that, which I think is really important in mental health.

Yeah. So I want to make sure that everybody heard that Aidan said that getting your sleep and putting your phone down has been really essential to helping him in his preparation for games and that his coach was instrumental in kind of setting that structure. So, Aiden, I want to stay with the on the court performance because you learned about meditation and breathing techniques during the junior NBA Global Championship Championship in Orlando. So I'm curious if you can share with us how that has really impacted you because sometimes younger athletes don't want to try new skills. So what made you decide to try meditation and how has it been helpful in your performance?

Well, it really, it just, it happened. I was just in my room one day and I was just thinking of like different ways I could, I could try to get better. And I just turned off the lights and put some music on and I just sat there and breathed and Thought about what I did during the day and what I could do the next day for about 10 minutes and it really helped me play and push through hard times. Lifting weights wise, it really helps breathing. I found that out. And also when you're really tired, just finding that extra gear and being able to. Being able to just push through all the pain and go to another level that others might not that don't try meditation.

Yeah. So it definitely sounds like it helped with overall awareness. It helped with your ability to focus and like you said, to kind of push through and channel your energy into the things that you needed to do, whether it's lifting weights or regardless of what it's doing. Right. It's allowing you to be more present and be more focused in your activities. Thank you so much. So, Alex, if we think about beyond breathing and meditation, we know that there are a lot of other skills that you may be able to use to not only help your mental health, but also to help your mental performance on the court. And so curious if you would share with us some of the skills that you might recommend for athletes to try to get that next level mentality.

Sure. Yeah. I think the big three I would add on would be goal setting, number one. I think having a clear path of where you want to head and what you're hoping to accomplish and then the steps you need to take to get there. So I think setting both outcome goals and then process goals is really, really important. It can help people sort of tune into what they need to focus on in practice, get a little bit more out of practice and games, and then monitor progress more effectively. I think imagery is another great technique. So really learning to experience and embody the game before it happens. Right. Seeing the play take place in your mind. And what we know from a really cool sort of neuroscientific perspective. Right. Is that practicing image actually activates the same parts of your brain that would be active during the competition. And so it's literally getting mental reps in. And so I love imagery as an activity. And then I think the final one is emotion regulation techniques. So breathing goes into that. But there may be other sort of distraction management techniques you could use. Things like focal cueing. So coming up with a really specific phrase to help yourself regulate. Learning specific types of breathing can be really helpful. But I think everyone can sort of relate to having to perform under pressure with those last couple minutes of the game and feeling things sort of get a little bit more tense. I think emotion regulation can be great for managing that. It can also Be great for helping us sort of amp up and get ready to play. And so I think being able to learn and really fine tune how you prepare and perform in those ways can really be helpful.

Yeah. So creating a plan. And it sounds like you need to be intentional. I mean, as both of you were talking, you were very intentional about what it was that you did in order to practice those skills. Whether it's the emotional regulation or setting goals or, Aidan, whether it's doing the meditation like you were intentional and you set aside some time to do it. Certainly for those looking to practice meditation, Headspace is a wonderful app that you may be able to use to help you learn what meditation is and kind of start a practice for yourself. And a skill that I'll add to the mix is self talk. I think we don't often pay attention to what we say to ourselves, but we can be our biggest cheerleader or our biggest critic. So really being mindful of the self talk that you are engaging in, I think is another way to help get our heads in the right space. Right. And to keep us focused and to encourage ourselves as we are competing and participating. So we know that there's an intersection between mental health and mental performance. We've talked about some of the strategies and techniques that you all recommend and have used to help improve on court performance. As we think about mental health in this conversation, we're having it as a part of this conference. But what do you all think we need to do to expand this conversation? How do we keep this conversation going and bring more people to the discussion so that mental health becomes something that we're just talking about in the same way that we talk about physical health. What do we need to do to extend the conversation? I'll let either of you choose. I'll let you choose who goes first this time.

Aiden, go for it.

Something that I feel like we can all do is just asking our peers if they're okay and if there's anything wrong, if there's anything that you can do to help them with their mental health and just checking up on everybody and making sure they know how you feel. Because you never know what's going on in their private life. It's just something that you always got to make sure everybody's okay around you.

Yeah. Just if you're concerned or you're curious, ask. Right. There are few things that are more powerful than knowing that somebody cares about you because they asked about how you're doing now. That's really great, Aiden. Thanks, Alex. What do we need to do.

Oh, gosh. I feel like there are several things. So I'll try to keep it friendly to the conversation and be brief so that there's space for more stuff. I think first is leading with care and compassion. So, you know, oftentimes it's easy to get caught up in what's happening in our own lives and sort of lose sight of what other people might be going through. And so I think taking the time to pause and invite people. People in is really important and invite the conversation. Right. Normalize that. This is a part of our life, this is a part of our experience and something we should be talking about. I think secondly would be being very mindful of the language we use around mental health. So I think historically, mental health's been spoken about as though something's like wrong or broken. And I think starting to shift that narrative a bit to starting to really think about if you hurt a leg or something or you didn't feel so good, you would go to the doctor and get checked up and you would get the help that you needed and you move forward. I think mental health can be similar. Right. If something feels off, it doesn't have to be a sign that something's wrong or broken. It just may need a sign that you need some support and some adjustment and that we can help you get forward with that too. But instead, really learning to pay attention to mental health as a sign that there's something here important for us to tune into and learn and not a sign that something's inherently wrong or bad or broken with us. I think it's really important. And then I think the final piece I'd add is similar to that, but really being intentional with our language and inclusive in our language. So everybody thinks about or perceives their mental health differently and everyone is going through something. And so I think being really sensitive to how we invite people in and the way we talk about these things and listen about these things is really important.

Absolutely. And if we think about the athletes again and coaches who have shared some of their stories, right. I think about DeMar DeRozan, I think about Kevin Love, I think about Liz Cambage, Katie Lou Samuelson, I think about, you know, players in the NBA and WNBA who have publicly shared their story, it's not that these athletes were not necessarily hindered in their performance. These are great athletes. These are elite level athletes. So it's not a situation where they were great because they never experienced adversity, but they're sharing with us how they were great and their greatness came as a result of them navigating and persevering through the adversity. So I really think that's an important part as well. Like you just said, we all have mental health and we all need to be very intentional about taking care of it. Similarly, things don't have to be wrong in order for us to work on getting better. Right? We don't necessarily go to the gym and lift weights because we feel like we're not strong enough. We just recognize that we might be better served by being a little bit stronger. We want to keep developing our skills, and so we should think about our mental health and our mental performance in the same way. How can we elevate ourselves in that aspect to develop more skills, more strengths as it relates to mental health that allow us to perform in the ways that we want to, both on the court and off the court. And so, as we are preparing to wrap up, I have one final question that I would ask of you if you could share just one thing with those who are tuning into this conversation. Thinking about our young athletes and our youth athletes, thinking about coaches, parents that may be listening in. What's the one thing that you would want them to know from your perspective about mental health that they could take with them from this conversation? Just one thing. What is it that you would want them to know? Aiden, let's start with you.

One thing that I would want them to know is probably that everyone struggles with mental health. No matter what you have or what you don't have, everybody hits a block at some point and everybody's going to need help. Nobody can just do it on their own. And that's something that's really important to me.

Thank you, Alex.

I'm really hoping that this conversation creates an opportunity for athletes to talk about mental health and for players, excuse me, for coaches and parents to ask about mental health. So to really hopefully use this as a platform to keep the conversation going and think about this as a starting point.

And I think the last thing that I might add there is that I'm hoping that this conversation will serve to humanize the conversation about mental health. We are not just talking about conditions or symptoms or stressors or challenges, but we are talking about people's lived experiences and so really wanting to understand that we have the ability to decrease this stigma and we have the ability to offer support to folks in the areas of mental health and in developing mental skills. And so I'm hoping that we understand that this is about human experience. And so that's what I'M hoping people take away. So any final closing thoughts or comments as we wrap up? I appreciate your time. So anything else that you all want to say before we end and close this conversation?

For now, thank you for the opportunity.

And I just want to say yes Aiden, thank you. You're in school with the mask on. I should have said that earlier. Thank you for taking the time to join us as well. We really do appreciate it and hope this conversation has been enlightening. Thank you all for your time, your attention and be well. Take.