I answered the phone to the sound of the outdoors—a calm but welcoming voice on the other line. “The Pacific Northwest grass is different than in Miami,” NBA star Kevin Love said, speaking from his parents’ home days after the Miami Heat lost to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of their playoff series—a game Kevin sat out for personal reasons.

I asked him to paint a picture of the human behind the Kevin Love Fund (KLF)’s newly announced Athlete Mental Health Program, a project poised to impact more lives than his NBA career ever could. Kevin described himself bundled in a hoodie and sweatpants despite the Oregon sun. Shoes and socks off, he laughed. These weren’t his usual interview questions.

The Kevin Love Fund Story

I told Kevin I wanted to focus on the stories behind the KLF and Athlete Mental Health Program’s creation—the moments that led him here. While his story’s been shared before, he returned to themes of unpacking expectations and trauma.

“I felt like I had to hide. I had to go into myself and try to compartmentalize. I asked myself, am I going to be exposed? Are people going to find things out about me that I’m not ready to tell?”

In March 2018, Kevin published a first-person essay—Everyone Is Going Through Something—recounting his panic attack and mental health journey. The response was overwhelming. Readers opened up, sharing their own struggles. That moment revealed something bigger at stake.

Inspired, Kevin founded KLF, a nonprofit built on the belief that education is most powerful when it models vulnerability. Healing, he believes, begins when people are empowered to find identity beyond sport.

KLF now transforms how we understand and talk about mental health—especially in athletics. Through storytelling, education, and evidence-based tools, KLF helps athletes and communities navigate both the high-pressure world of sport and the often-overlooked transition beyond it.

The Athlete Mental Health Program Story

On May 1, 2025, the KLF launches a free, evidence-based mental health program for athletes to foster identity beyond sport. The Athlete Mental Health Program includes lessons on identity development, tools for performance anxiety and stress, and creating conversations around mental and emotional well-being in sports. Built with input from sport psychologists, educators, and former athletes, it equips coaches and broader sports communities to support the whole person—not just the competitor.

The KLF Athlete Mental Health Program is grounded in over a decade of research on reciprocal vulnerability—the idea that when adults model emotional openness, youth are more likely to engage in meaningful mental health conversations (Dutro, 2009; 2011; 2019; Foster, 2022).

The Athlete Mental Health Program is now freely available to educators, coaches, trainers, and anyone supporting student-athletes. For more information or to access the curriculum, visit: https://kevinlovefund.org/

A Story About Success

When I asked Kevin to share a story that reflects the Fund’s success, he hesitated, deferring to his publicist for the “numbers.” But then he smiled.

He recalled the 2018 article: “If I could help even one child managing the same expectations I had at 13 or 14, it would be worth it.” KLF continues to honor that vision—ensuring no athlete feels alone in their mental health struggles the way he once did.

The publicist later shared the numbers: KLF’s SEL curriculum has reached over 130,000 students and 1,900 educators across 1,200+ schools and programs in 32 states and 19 countries.

A Story About Regret

When I asked Kevin to share a story about regret, he didn’t flinch.

“There are things I’ve said or done that I’d take back,” he said. But more often, regret stemmed from what he didn’t do.

He recalled a teacher who once urged him to take a different path. Years later, he wrote that teacher a letter—acknowledging the truth in their advice.

“My regret is that I didn’t act sooner to help myself heal. Whether because I was young, shaped by a hypermasculine culture, or raised by a father born in 1949 who didn’t know another way. Vulnerability wasn’t modeled—it was avoided.”

He reflected on the generational silence around emotion. “I wish I’d been comfortable enough in my skin to realize vulnerability could be a superpower.”

A Story About Being on the Right Path

Kevin said he knew he was on the right path once his story was accepted—celebrated, even.

He paused on the word “celebrated,” aware of its weight. “I’m a product of sharing my story—just like DeMar DeRozan was. It’s healthy to celebrate people who take a chance for the greater good.”

One moment sealed it. At games, kids started holding signs—not about basketball, but mental health. Kevin asked security to bring those families to him. “I’d ask, How did you get here? Why did you make the sign?” And the stories he heard—stories of resilience and shared pain—shifted something in him.

“That’s when I knew this was bigger than basketball. It changed the trajectory of my life.”

An Untold Story

“This whole process—expressing some, not all (yet), of my mental health struggles—has made me more comfortable in my own skin,” Kevin said.

He told a lesser-known story from his early days with his now-wife. His social anxiety was so severe, he couldn’t go out—not even to dinner. “My wife can tell you—when we first started dating, I couldn’t go to a restaurant.”

It wasn’t just discomfort. It was agoraphobia—fear of public embarrassment or collapse. “At any moment, I could fall apart disproportionately to the situation.”

His world shrank: gym, then home—places he could control. But over time, he did the work.

“I’m flawed. I’m still working on it. I’m not a finished project. But I’m more settled now. I’m human. Just a guy—not just an athlete.”

That acceptance, he said, lets him engage in life in ways that once felt out of reach.

A Story (Almost) Told Too Late

I didn’t ask what he’d tell his 13-year-old self—he offered it anyway.

“Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say. I wish I’d spoken my truth sooner. I let things get to a place that felt life-threatening.”

Silence nearly cost him everything. But breaking it? It opened doors—for himself and others. “Speaking up helped me see red flags before spiraling. Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s often the first step to saving a life.”

The Final Story

At the start of the interview, I told Kevin I wanted to reveal the human behind the KLF Athlete Mental Health Fund. I wanted to move beyond the headlines and game highlights. And I did.

But what lingered most wasn’t just the curriculum, or the program reach, or the quotes.

It was the image of Kevin barefoot in his parents’ Oregon yard—finding peace. Not as an NBA champion. Not as a mental health advocate. Just a guy who’s still doing the work, showing up, and reminding the world:

“Athletics can be a defining part of life—but it should not define your entire identity.”

Shortly after the interview, Kevin’s beloved father, Stan Love, passed away at the age of 76. May he rest in peace.

One of the most storied athletic locations at UConn is about to begin a brand-new era.

Starting this spring, Guyer Gymnasium on Hillside Avenue will be fully overhauled, along with along with renovation of smaller spaces in the connecting Hugh S. Greer Field House and Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. Together, they will be known as the Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center, named in honor of Trisha Bailey ’99 (CLAS), whose lead gift is among the largest from any UConn graduate.

The project was kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 23 featuring Bailey, student athletes, coaches, Board of Trustees Chairman Dan Toscano, UConn President Radenka Maric, Director of Athletics David Benedict, and others.

“Congratulations, coaches. Congratulations, students. Congratulations, alumni,” said Maric. “Congratulations to our staff and everybody who supports our athletics and our university. This is the day that you waited for, for a long time.”

The project will bring athletics, research, academic support, sports medicine, and other programs together in one facility to build upon each other in support of the student success journey, one of the mainstays of UConn’s Strategic Plan. If all goes as scheduled, the new center will open in Spring 2027.

“The Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center will transform the college experience for young men and women who wear the Husky uniform,” said David Benedict, director of athletics.

Bailey, a former track athlete at UConn, founded Bailey’s Medical Equipment and Supplies after her time in Storrs. She quoted her grandmother at the ceremony: “’Dream so big that not even you can believe that these dreams can come true,’” said Bailey. “What does that mean? It means that when you dream, you need to go beyond what the dream looks like.”

Also on April 23, UConn announced a transformative $15 million commitment from longtime supporters Denis and Britta Nayden that will establish The Nayden Center for Academic Excellence within the Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center. At the core of this transformative project, the 12,000 square foot academic center will become the home for holistic development, academic accomplishment, and well-being for every student-athlete at UConn. This comprehensive space will facilitate learning, testing, meeting, tutoring, and all academic activities.

The gymnasium will be renovated to house UConn’s Student-Athlete Success Program (SASP), which supports student-athletes with tutoring, study spaces, post-graduation career or academic planning, and other academic services.

It will also house offices, support spaces, locker rooms, team meeting areas, and other spaces for women’s field hockey, women’s rowing, women’s tennis, women’s swimming & diving, women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s track & field.

“Thanks to Trisha Bailey’s anchor donation, the vision of a student-athlete success center took hold, and became real,” said Nayden ’76 (BUS) ’77 MBA. “I’ve seen the drawings, and I have no doubt that the new facility will be state of the art, beautiful and impressive. But what attracted us, and what was really impressive, is everything that would occur inside.”

Other speakers included former field hockey coach Nancy Stevens, men’s tennis coach Glenn Marshall, and student athletes Chioma Okafor ’26 (BUS, ENG) and Travis Roux ’25 (BUS).

The construction will turn the field house into a LEED-certified building and add an estimated 50 to 60 years of active use to the complex. The improvements help UConn take another step in its Sustainability Action Plan and will help UConn reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

New space will be created for the UConn Department of Kinesiology, strength and conditioning rooms, rehabilitation and recovery areas and hydrotherapy and biomedical analysis.

The field house, named for longtime men’s basketball coach and athletic director Hugh Greer, opened in 1954 and was the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams until Gampel Pavilion opened in 1990.

“We want everyone to achieve excellence. This will be a learning center, a financial literacy center, a personal development center, a mental health center, a tutoring center, a nutrition center,” said Nayden. “It will be a social center. It will be a hub of life.”

Our always-on, digitally driven society has turned our devices into both lifelines and sources of tension. As May spotlights Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a perfect time to address a growing challenge of our time: the overwhelming presence of technology in our daily lives.

The statistics paint a concerning picture: we unlock our smartphones approximately 150 times a day, and workers switch between different apps and websites nearly 1,200 times a day. This constant digital juggling is taking a serious toll on our well-being and productivity.

Here are five evidence-based strategies, curated by InboxArmy, to help you manage digital overload and reclaim your focus and peace of mind.

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash

1. Schedule Focused Deep Work Sessions

According to research, 60.6% of people are unable to do just 1-2 hours of deep work without distraction. Even brief interruptions of 4.4 seconds can triple the error rate on your main task, and it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully refocus after being distracted.

Block out dedicated distraction-free periods in your calendar for deep work. During these sessions, put your phone in another room, close any unnecessary browser tabs, and let your colleagues know you’re unavailable. Research shows that even the mere presence of a phone can lower your cognitive capacity, so creating physical distance from your devices during focused work can significantly boost productivity.

2. Implement a Notification Detox

People deal with an average of 63.5 notifications per day. Receiving a notification, even without checking it, can severely disrupt concentration.

Take control of your notification settings by disabling non-essential alerts, batch-processing emails at designated times, and using “priority only” modes for truly urgent communications. When 73.2% of workers report feeling overwhelmed by constant interruptions, reducing digital noise can significantly lower stress, uplift your mental health, and improve focus.

3. Create Technology-Free Zones and Times

Digital habits deny our brains important downtime, reducing our capacity for deep thinking. With 59% of smartphone users checking social media within 5 minutes of bedtime and 40% checking their phones within 5 minutes of waking up, many of us never truly disconnect.

Establish clear boundaries with your devices by designating certain rooms, especially bedrooms, as device-free zones. Implement a digital sunset 1-2 hours before bedtime and create screen-free meal times. The benefits can be substantial; a previous study reported that 93.6% of participants who tried sleeping without their phones would consider continuing the practice due to improved sleep quality.

4. Practice Single-Tasking

People spend approximately 59 minutes per day looking for information trapped within tools and applications, and 45% say that context switching makes them less productive. Taking a break to check your phone during problem-solving can make you 19% slower and 22% less effective at the task.

Embrace single-tasking by working on one task at a time, grouping similar tasks together, and closing all unrelated applications when working on a specific task. People often struggle to fully focus on a single task or person, but intentionally practicing single-tasking can strengthen their attention muscles and reduce the stress of divided attention.

5. Schedule Regular Digital Detox Periods

Heavy internet users are five times more likely to suffer from depression, and constant digital connectivity has been linked to increased anxiety levels.

Incorporate regular digital detox periods into your routine, starting with small, manageable periods, such as a screen-free morning, and gradually extending them to longer periods. Plan offline activities you enjoy and connect face-to-face with friends and family (67% of people from the UK actually prefer in-person meetings). Over three-quarters of American families committed to taking a digital detox after lockdown, recognising the benefits of periodically disconnecting.

Take the Digital-Detox Challenge

This Mental Health Awareness Month, pick one of these five strategies to implement today. Share your experience with #DigitalDetoxChallenge and inspire others to join you. Small, consistent changes can transform your relationship with technology, and your well-being will thank you.

story credit: InboxArmy.

About InboxArmy: InboxArmy is a premier email marketing agency dedicated to ensuring your messages reach the right audience. Leveraging innovative technology and strategic insights, InboxArmy empowers businesses to boost engagement and drive campaign success.

Sources:

Britons spend more time on tech than asleep, study suggests – BBC News

Digital Detox Facts | Internet Addiction Facts | Time To Log Off

44 Smartphone Addiction Statistics for 2025 [INFOGRAPHIC] | SlickText.

The science is in: Interruptions Kill Productivity and Increase Stress (with sources) | WorkJoy

GUEST POST: Can Digital Detox Improve your Learning Abilities?

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Over 275 people came out for the Rye Youth Council (RYC)’s spring benefit, the Help Helps Soiree, at The Apawamis Club last Thursday. The group honored Dr. Eric Byrne, outgoing superintendent of Rye City schools, for supporting its programs and services and expanding mental health support for students across the District. The group raised over $200,000 to help sustain and grow its prevention, intervention, and mental health and wellness programs that elevate youth mental well-being and support families in the community.

“RYC serves as a vital resource our our entire community, collaborating with schools, healthcare providers, local business, and government partners to promote the social and emotional development of our youth, strengthen their resilience and support their mental health and well-being,” said RYC Board Member and Psychotherapist Marnie White, LCSW.

Rye High School junior TJ Neeves took the stage, sharing a presentation he created and narrated to thank Dr. Byrne for making inclusion his mission, “that sparked something larger and encouraged others to create more accessible programming.”

Lisa Dominici, RYC executive director, thanked the group’s staff and lauded their prevention and youth development efforts through initiatives like the Peer to Peer and the Student-athlete Mental Health programs. The evening highlighted RYC Restore, the clinical counseling and therapy service for children ages 5-22.

Tommy Linehan Becomes Tappan Zee’s All-Time Leading Lacrosse Scorer

Tappan Zee High School senior Tommy Linehan reached a major milestone this week, scoring his 300th career point and becoming the school’s all-time leader in lacrosse points.

Linehan, a four-year varsity standout, has been a key force on offense throughout his career. His combination of goals and assists has powered the Dutchmen and earned him a place in school history.

With the postseason on the horizon, Linehan remains focused on helping lead his team to continued success.

Notre Dame student government has created a new department of student athlete relations partially in response to an ongoing $2.8 billion lawsuit, House v. NCAA, that has the potential to upend college athletics.

The suit, which began over a dispute about name, image and likeness (NIL) revenue sharing, was granted class-action status in 2023. If approved, the lawsuit would provide billions of dollars in back-pay damages to former student athletes and also allow colleges to begin revenue-sharing programs enabling them to pay athletes directly. Previously, student-athletes could be awarded scholarships from colleges but were not paid directly.

Importantly, the settlement was also drafted to include limits on the number of athletes that schools could have on their rosters. These roster limits would replace the NCAA’s current scholarship limits, which would force some colleges to cut student athletes. 

However, on Wednesday, the judge overseeing the settlement, Claudia Wilken, ordered the two parties involved in suit to rewrite the section of the settlement dealing with roster-limits, stating that she would not approve the case if it would harm student-athletes who were part of the plaintiff’s class.

As the settlement was being negotiated, Notre Dame’s student government formed a new student athlete relations department, created by an omnibus senate bill that reshaped the executive cabinet. That bill, the first of the 2025-26 senate’s term, was passed April 2 with 32 affirmative votes, two negative votes, and four abstentions.

Student body president Jerry Vielhauer ran with the creation of this department as a part of his platform.

The director of the student athlete relations department, Robbie Wollan, who is also a walk-on member of Notre Dame’s football team, said there were a number of needs that prompted the creation of the department.

“There’s been a lot of press about athletes’ mental health over the past decade or so, but still a lot of people don’t know a lot about that … We have the sports psychologists, we have campus wellness centers, but there are a lot of challenges that student athletes face that are being brought up now, it’s not something that’s going to be in the future, we can change it right now,” he said.

Editor’s note: Vielhauer and Wollan were interviewed before judge Wilken ordered a modification of roster-limits. 

Vielhauer was aware of the NCAA legislation when he went to create the new department, but his initial idea came while reviewing old student government administrations and centered more upon increasing representation for student athletes, noting that athletes make up roughly 10% of the student body. 

“That is a very sizable portion of our student body, and for that group to not have any representation in student government was definitely, absolutely concerning to me … We have a lot of these diversity and inclusion departments to make sure that we are making every student feel like they’re part of the campus community, and I thought that we should not have student athletes not be included in that group,” Vielhauer said. 

Wollan said that the department also has concerns over the House v. NCAA settlement.

“It will impact college athletes for the rest of college. The NCAA is making some really harsh decisions and not taking much feedback,” he said.

Wollan emphasized that if the roster-limits were adopted, the changes would mostly eliminate walk-ons, but noted that for many sports, scholarship athletes might also be cut. He added that Notre Dame is still waiting until the settlement is finalized before making roster cuts, but noted that some athletes have been told it would be in their best interest to enter the transfer portal. 

Vielhauer hopes that athletes encouraged to enter the transfer portal won’t feel “forced to leave,” adding, “The detriment is this team limit cap. Our focus is going to be helping to take those athletes, who — they’ve been focusing on working so hard for this sport their entire life, and even after a couple years you’re on campus, to now be cut and told you’re no longer part of this team. What’s your friend group at that point? Where are your resources? Where do you want to feel welcome on campus?” 

Wollan clarified that to support students impacted by the NCAA settlement, they’ll be aiding with the transition in terms of shifting away from reliance on sports psychologists to campus mental health resources, assisting them in developing closer connections with their academic advisors after shifting away from academic services for student athletes, “providing them more opportunities as they make that transition to being a student here.”

“Student athletes base so much of their identity on their sport. And if it is just completely wiped out in a split second by something that is completely out of your control, that’s very mentally and emotionally damaging to somebody,” Wollan added. 

Wollan added that athletics director Pete Bevacqua has been transparent with athletes regarding the ruling and Notre Dame’s approach.

“Much of it is out of Notre Dame’s control, and they’re trying to handle all these decisions in the best way possible with their athletes’ best interest in mind,” Wollan said.

In written statements sent to The Observer after Wilken ordered a modification of roster-limits, both Vielhauer and Wollan said they are continuing to track the progress of the settlement.

“We are continuing to monitor this situation and evaluate the best next steps given whatever the outcome may be … At the end of the day, we are just going to be trying to figure out how to best support every student on campus, including our student-athletes,” Vielhauer wrote. 

Wollan expressed gratitude for Wilken’s decision. 

“Athletes around the nation are extremely grateful for Judge Wilken’s push to create a phase-in plan for roster limits. We are monitoring the process carefully, but will have to wait until a final decision is made to ensure we can make the best choices possible to support our student athletes. I am confident we will be prepared to take on whatever lies ahead, regardless of what decision is made,” Wollan wrote. 

The department’s concerns are not limited to the House v. NCAA settlement, however. Vielhauer emphasized the need for stronger integration of student-athletes into the broader campus community.

“It’s very important to us to make sure athletes feel a part of campus, of that community, and that beyond just that, we also help to create a bridge and a strong bond between student athletes and the student body in general,” Vielhauer said. 

He attributed the need for this bridge to “a kind of divide starting to happen on campus with NIL, because there’s a sense of jealousy I think a lot of students naturally will feel toward athletes being paid to come here and play a sport.” 

Vielhauer clarified that this divide can sometimes stem from the frequency of student athletes not living on-campus. The University’s website states that “Notre Dame students are required to live on-campus for six semesters.” However, a number of student athletes who have yet completed this on-campus residency requirement are assigned dorm rooms but do not occupy them, opting instead to live off-campus.

Wollan dismissed that concern. “That is not a special privilege, they just financially can get a spot off campus while maintaining that dorm eligibility,” Wollan said. 

Elaborating on the divide, Vielhauer said, “There are obviously special resources that student athletes have for a number of reasons. When everyday students don’t have the same resources, it can be difficult to at the same time see those athletes as having their own separate, real challenges.” 

Wollan hopes to address misconceptions about the department, noting that they’ve received feedback in which “people are saying you’re giving athletes more physical resources, more exclusive opportunities,” despite this not being the case. 

“We are not giving athletes more things. We’re helping maximize what they already have,” he said. He added that initiatives will include assisting students in getting more involved with dorm life, especially coaching intramural sports, as well as helping them to navigate opportunities to receive NIL funding and managing their responsibility to “represent Notre Dame at the highest level.” 

“Notre Dame is always focused on leading. How do we get our student athletes, who have such an incredible platform, to lead Notre Dame to be one of the best universities in the world? Through college athletics, that’s a big opportunity to use that. I think a lot of schools aren’t making the most of that,” Wollan said. 

Vielhauer shared that their team has been meeting with a lot of administrators regarding their platform, but they have not yet had time to discuss this with Notre Dame’s athletics department, and does not see this happening until the fall. 

Vielhauer and Wollan are “leaning towards” having the department consist mostly of student athletes, providing them the biggest say in the matters the department addresses. Members of the department will be selected by the last day of classes and the department will begin to meet in the fall, consistent with other departments. 

The Observer reached out to the athletics department for comment, but did not receive a response by deadline.