From NCAA champion to mental health advocate: Grace Shirley’s journey beyond the ice

Grace Shirley still gets chills thinking about it. 

The moments she and her Wisconsin teammates stormed the ice in celebration of their National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championships in 2021 and 2023 were unforgettable. Winning those championships alongside her older sister, Sophie, added another meaningful layer to the accomplishments. 

“It was amazing. It happened a few years ago, but I still can’t put it into words,” said Shirley, whose alma mater won another NCAA title in March. “We won both national championships together, and it was just a phenomenal experience. The relationships I made with my teammates and all the staff at Wisconsin, it was such a great experience, and it’s one I’ll be proud of and take with me for the rest of my life.”

But while her success on the ice was undeniable, the pressures of college sports revealed a side of the game that doesn’t often make the highlight reel. 

The pressure to perform

From the outside, Shirley had everything a student-athlete could hope for. She was thriving at a powerhouse program, where she scored 21 points in four seasons and earned Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors three times. But internally, she was struggling with self-doubt.

“There was a lot of just pressure that I was putting on myself,” she admitted. “That was taking a toll.” 

Shirley’s experience is shared by many student-athletes, according to NCAA research data, especially those in women’s sports. In the most recent NCAA Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Study, 44% of participants in women’s sports reported feeling overwhelmed constantly or most every day.

Shirley said this weight led her to make one of the most important decisions of her life and reached out to a sports psychologist at Wisconsin — a step supported by the growing presence of mental health services outlined in the NCAA Mental Health Best Practices and  Division I core guarantees. 

For Shirley, the impact of this support far exceeded her expectations.

“Initially it was just for hockey, but I think ultimately the impact that it had on all areas of my life was pretty outstanding,” she said. “The small tips about gaining confidence and being able to remain composed in tough situations helped pretty fast, but I think more of the long-term stuff was the level of gratitude and being able to wake up every day and go about your life and really care about the relationships and the people behind you are what’s stuck with me.”

Shirley’s sessions helped her rediscover balance in her life. As she navigated the challenges of balancing academics, athletics and her personal life, she found herself embracing a broader perspective on her identity.

“For many student-athletes, attempting to find a healthy balance between the academic, athletic and social domains of life can be difficult. During my time in college, utilizing the resources available and working with sports psychologists have had such a positive impact, not only on my athletic performance, but my overall levels of happiness and well-being,” she said. “Obviously it’s important to be performing well, but there’s so many aspects of life that are just as important to foster and take care of as well. I’m really grateful for all those resources that college hockey has provided me.”

Developing her passion at the Emerging Leaders Seminar

As Shirley embraced the impact that mental health counseling had on her own life, she felt drawn to help others in the same way. That passion led her to Providence, where she competed as a graduate transfer during the 2023-24 season and began pursuing a master’s degree in counseling with the goal of becoming a licensed mental health counselor. 

This pursuit also led her to attend the 2025 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar, a three-day event in February designed to help young professionals develop leadership skills and explore career paths in college athletics?.

“I’m really passionate about mental health counseling,” she said. “It’s always been something that I’ve really found interesting and enlightening. Being at the Emerging Leaders Seminar has really helped with this.”

The seminar, themed “Lead Like a Superhero: Unleash Your Superpowers,” challenged participants to identify their values and understand their unique abilities. Shirley, who had already begun her journey toward becoming a mental health professional, found herself drawn to discussions on how counseling and leadership intersect in college sports. 

“We were able to talk through careers within the field of counseling and how that relates to collegiate athletics, which is definitely a growing field,” she said. “A lot of athletes are seeking mental health services, and I hope to contribute and help the lives of upcoming student-athletes.”

Being the person she needed

Shirley knows firsthand how intimidating it can be to ask for help, but she also understands how important it is.

“I’ve definitely been there where I’ve kind of been scared to talk about things,” she said. 

“It’s important to be reminded that you have people in your corner, you have people that care about you. Whether it’s a mental health counselor, your family or friends, people are there for you. You owe it to yourself to ask for help because at the end of the day nobody deserves to go through those battles on their own.” 

As she prepares to graduate with a master’s degree, Shirley is looking not just to the future of her career but to the impact she hopes to make. She wants to be a resource for student-athletes struggling with the same pressures she experienced and to help them learn to embrace life beyond sports.

“I just want to demonstrate a level of empathy and understanding,” she said. “I was once in that seat. I was someone who was seeking additional services or resources, so I understand. And I want to be that person that can really help and just kind of change your outlook or maybe some of those patterns of thinking. I just really want to demonstrate that I’m there for you, that I care about you and then I want to be with you as you start this process.”

As Shirley reflects on her journey — the championships, the struggles, the growth — she said her biggest win has been learning who she is beyond the game.

“There’s a lot more to life than just sport and there’s more to me than just a hockey player. I’m a daughter and a sister and a really good friend,” she said, before reflecting on her journey more broadly. “Hockey has impacted my life in so many ways, and I have nothing but positive things to say about Wisconsin and Providence. They provided me the resources and support needed for me to reach my full potential as both a hockey player and as a person.”