Health

Inside The Mad Dash to Turn Division I Athletes Into Influencers

On a February afternoon at the University of North Carolina, a group of seven students on the diving team sat barefoot on the floor of the college’s muggy natatorium. They were staring expectantly at a petite blond woman in a black sweater perched on a concrete block. Listen to this article with reporter commentary Vickie […]

Published

3 weeks ago

April 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Inside The Mad Dash to Turn Division I Athletes Into Influencers

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

Vickie Segar was there, with the blessing of the university’s athletic department, to pitch them on turning their TikTok and Instagram accounts into cash cows.

“Let’s talk about the money in the creator economy,” said Ms. Segar, after explaining that she was a graduate of the university who had run a top influencer marketing agency for a dozen years. “Does anybody follow Alix Earle?”

The students said yes, amid several chuckles, because asking a college student that question in 2025 is like asking if a millennial has ever heard of Beyoncé.

How much money, she continued, did they think that Ms. Earle, a TikTok megastar who rose to fame with confessional-style videos about beauty and college life, makes for promoting a brand across several posts on Instagram Stories? “$100,000?” one student guessed. “$70,000,” another tossed out.

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Health

Minnesota gymnasts embrace mental health to capture national title at Oklahoma

Elle Mueller and Lily Pederson led Oklahoma to a national gymnastics title, emphasizing mental health. MINNESOTA, USA — For gymnasts, athletic success is often defined by strength, precision and discipline. But for two Minnesota natives now competing at the University of Oklahoma, the path to a national championship was shaped just as much by mental […]

Published

10 hours ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Elle Mueller and Lily Pederson led Oklahoma to a national gymnastics title, emphasizing mental health.

MINNESOTA, USA — For gymnasts, athletic success is often defined by strength, precision and discipline. But for two Minnesota natives now competing at the University of Oklahoma, the path to a national championship was shaped just as much by mental resilience as physical training.

Elle Mueller, from Blaine, and Lily Pederson, from White Bear Lake, have been in leotards since they were toddlers. Once competitors, the two became teammates this year at Oklahoma, where they helped lead the Sooners to a national gymnastics title in 2025.

“It’s always been my dream to do college gymnastics,” Pederson said. “To actually be here now — I don’t ever want to stop.”

Mueller, who once competed for Team USA alongside future Olympians, was on an elite track throughout high school. She took online classes to accommodate her intense training schedule, but in her senior year, she made the difficult decision to step away from elite competition — a move driven by her need to prioritize mental health.

“I would do my routines for my coaches, not for myself,” Mueller said. “I’ve learned to do things out of love, for myself — and to finally have confidence in who I am.”

Her mother said she could sense the emotional toll gymnastics was taking.

“I wasn’t going to tell her she needed to change,” she said. “But I knew she was hurting. I knew she wasn’t happy. When she finally said she wanted to step back, I was so thankful.”

Mueller and Pederson’s willingness to prioritize mental well-being reflects a broader shift in the culture of elite sports — a shift catalyzed, in part, by Olympic legend Simone Biles. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Biles stunned the world by pulling herself from competition after experiencing the “twisties,” a dangerous loss of air awareness. Her openness about mental health struggles helped dismantle long-standing stigmas in the gymnastics community and beyond.

“I think I’ve found my confidence,” Mueller said. “Just to do everything for myself, from a place of love — that’s something I didn’t have before.”

Pederson shared a similar path — one marked by stepping away from pressure and stepping into her own identity as an athlete and person.

“Getting to do this all together, makes it better,” Pederson said.

As the two prepare to return to Oklahoma for another season, both athletes say they’re not just following a path — they’re owning it.

“Mental health matters,” Mueller said. “Don’t push it under the rug. You have to take care of it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available:

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 — free, 24/7, confidential support for people in distress.
The Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ youth): Call 1-866-488-7386 or text ‘START’ to 678-678.
NCAA Mental Health Resources: www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/mental-health
Athletes for Hope: Offers mental health resources for athletes at all levels — www.athletesforhope.org

Health

Transgender athlete's win at suburban middle school track meet sparks heated debate

Debate over a transgender student’s win in a suburban middle school girls track meet grew heated at a school board meeting Monday. The track meet took place at Jefferson Middle School in Naperville, where the student athlete won multiple events, becoming a microcosm of a national debate over trans athletes in sports. During public comment […]

Published

19 hours ago

May 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Transgender athlete's win at suburban middle school track meet sparks heated debate

Debate over a transgender student’s win in a suburban middle school girls track meet grew heated at a school board meeting Monday.

The track meet took place at Jefferson Middle School in Naperville, where the student athlete won multiple events, becoming a microcosm of a national debate over trans athletes in sports.

During public comment at a Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board meeting Monday, nearly 100 parents could be seen in the audience, some raising transgender pride flags, others holding signs that read “Protect Girls Sports” and “Stop Exploiting Kids.”

At one point, an audience member could be heard shouting “Protect trans youth” before being escorted out of the meeting.

Parents opposed to the student’s participation in the meet have asked for federal funds to be frozen at District 203 until the board changes course on its athletics policies, arguing they are in violation of Title IX.

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funds.

Awake Illinois, a non profit organization advocating against gender-affirming care for kids, filed a federal civil rights complaint against the district over the meet.

Parents who spoke in the meeting argued the student’s participation “creates an unfair playing field for our daughters” while others expressed support for the school’s inclusive policy.

Illinois’ Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in educational settings in the state.

“Transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students often face barriers to participation in school athletics and other gender-based activities. Physical education, school sports teams, and school clubs are considered ‘facilities, goods and services’ under the Act and students are entitled to participate in these activities free from discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender-related identity,” the Illinois Department of Human Rights stated, adding that “students cannot be prevented from access to, full participation in, or the equal enjoyment of extracurricular activities due to their gender-related identity.”

In a statement, District 203 said it is “committed to protecting the privacy of all students.”

“In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and district policy, we cannot and will not share personal or identifiable information about any student without appropriate consent,” the statement read. “In regards to our procedures, Naperville 203 adheres to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois State Board of Education guidance, which prohibit discrimination in schools and ensure full and equal access to programs and services regardless of gender identity or other protected characteristics.”

No action was taken at the meeting Monday.

“The initial reaction to start filing court cases with the Department of Justice and turn a 13-year-old or a 12-year-old’s life into a spectacle…that’s just not a very humane thing to be doing,” Kristal Larson with the LGBTQ Center in Grayslake told NBC Chicago.

Larson noted that a child’s ability to participate in sports is pivotal to their mental health.

Dr. Kelsey Leonardsmith, who treats transgender children from several states at the Family Tree Clinic in Minneapolis, and is a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said transgender girls and women are already underrepresented in sports and make up just a tiny percentage of student athletes. She disputed the contention of critics that allowing them to participate in girls sports gives them unfair advantages and puts other girls in physical danger.

“Shutting out trans girls helps no one, and it is profoundly harmful to those it excludes,” Leonardsmith said. “On the surface, it removes opportunities for physical activity, for fitness, for belonging. But on a more fundamental level, it says to trans youth, ‘We do not believe you, you are not real,’ and it is hard to imagine a more damaging message to send to children.”

Cases of transgender athletes in women sports have been at the center of nationwide debates since President Donald Trump took office.

In 2022, the NCAA used a sport-by-sport approach to allow transgender athletes to participate, deferring to an individual sport’s national governing organization, international federation or prior established International Olympic Committee criteria.

The NCAA changed its policy the day after Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 5 that was intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports. That ended its sport-by-sport practice in favor of a blanket policy that only allows athletes assigned female at birth to participate in women’s sports.

The Illinois High School Association “allows participation by students consistent with their gender identity subject to applicable federal and state laws,” though they have urged state officials to communicate with federal authorities to “provide clear direction.”

The Education Department has already opened reviews of San Jose State University volleyball, Denver Public Schools, Portland Public Schools, Oregon School Activities Association and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, among others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Health

BYU women's basketball guard injures ACL twice

Many people look up to athletes, but people hardly talk about the challenges they go through. Arielle Mackey-Williams tells her story of how her injury impacted her life and mental health. “There’s been a lot of nights where I’m at home trying to go to sleep and I’m just crying myself to sleep because it […]

Published

2 days ago

May 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BYU women's basketball guard injures ACL twice

Many people look up to athletes, but people hardly talk about the challenges they go through.

Arielle Mackey-Williams tells her story of how her injury impacted her life and mental health.

“There’s been a lot of nights where I’m at home trying to go to sleep and I’m just crying myself to sleep because it just really hurts,” Mackey-Williams said.

10% of college athletes experience severe injuries according to the national athletic trainers association.

This is the second time that BYU women’s basketball player Arielle Mackey-Williams has injured her ACL. It has kept her from playing in another season.

“My first ACL injury, I went in to do a backdoor cut and my leg went inwards,” Mackey Williams-said. “The second time I definitely knew I tore my ACL again.”

Mackey-Williams said that staying positive has been more challenging during her second injury.

Newly-named BYU women’s basketball head coach Lee Cummard said he saw the mental toll the injury took on Mackey-Williams.

“On the court, Ari is a fierce competitor,” Cummard said. “The second time around, you can see it wearing on her a little bit more.”

Others close to her, including her mother and former coach, Mary Dawn described her firsthand experience.

“The hardest thing was, I couldn’t simply hug her and let her cry out loud and embrace that pain,” Dawn said.

BYU’s assistant athletic director of clinical mental health, Holly Binks, said athletes face tough challenges physically and mentally when they are dealing with an injury.

“There has to be almost a mourning period where they have to have grief, because they’ve had like a loss of like dreams of playing,“ Binks said.

Binks said that injuries are more than just a physical setback, they can impact scholarships and grades.

Binks and Cummard said that the sports culture is evolving to include a greater focus on mental health.

“Having a optimistic but a real point of view of where they’re at will really help,” Cummard said.

Dawn offered advice on how parents of athletes can support their mental health.

“Be a source of emotional support,” Dawn said. “Validate the feelings and remind them it’s okay to feel upset.”

Mackey-Williams said she has grown throughout her mental health journey.

“I think my injuries helped me just to be more grateful for knowing not only just basketball, but just the little things in life,” Mackey-Williams said.

Mackey-Williams said she has been able to maintain her mental health through this challenge while finding joy in the little things in life.

Health

QUOTES

Story Links Recap: Terps Beat Georgetown Maryland Postgame Quotes “Really proud of our guys. Kind of had a feeling it would feel like a Big Ten game, and that’s really what it was. Obviously give credit to Kevin Warne and Georgetown on a great year. They’ve been playing as hot as anybody and certainly their […]

Published

2 days ago

May 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Maryland Postgame Quotes

“Really proud of our guys. Kind of had a feeling it would feel like a Big Ten game, and that’s really what it was. Obviously give credit to Kevin Warne and Georgetown on a great year. They’ve been playing as hot as anybody and certainly their future is bright there. The crowd was phenomenal. Navy is such a good host for this game. I think I heard the attendance was 17-18,000 and they were awesome. We felt them all game long. Just a gritty performance. Defensively, (associate head coach) Jesse Bernhardt always does a great job with the game plan and these guys do a great job executing it. And then offensively, just kind of grinded. Not our best but when we needed to make plays we did.”

On the defense

“Jesse put together a really good plan. We have really good parts, but really smart parts. We have good athletes down there, but also guys who understand how play, not only on the ball, but off the ball. The combination of having a really good scout team and guys that buy into that role, which is not easy, then guys who know how to play and also a really good game plan put it all together.”

“We played this game like a Big Ten game, like we have played all year. Don’t change anything. It is going to be a grind; don’t flinch. We talked about it with these guys, breaking the game down and each possession matters. Don’t overthink it. We did put a big emphasis on starting strong. The first five minutes for us was huge, because if you watch the Duke game, they came out hot. Everyday at practice, the first five minutes was a focus.”

Jack MacDonald

On the pace of the game

“The prior experiences, playing Rutgers, playing Michigan, playing Penn State and all of the Big Ten teams gave us a great trial run for today. And I think we were ready. I think we knew what was coming with Georgetown; it was going to be a slower game, kind of a rock fight we called it all week. And we were prepared. We knew we were going to have to play a lot of defense, but we love it.”

On the defensive plan

“It starts with coach Bernhardt. We go over all week putting together a game plan and then watching an extensive amount of film as a group and that’s when you get to know the opposing side so well. I think that’s where we get our edge.”

“I definitely felt we left some (goals) out there. I was super thrilled with how we finished the game (offensively). Coach Warne does a great job with their defense and Georgetown as a whole. I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing over there and how that defense plays so tight knit. They slide and recover real well. We found some opportunities late, but we should play better.”

On playing against his brother Jacob

“It is hard to get emotional because we shared a big stage today. I’m super proud of him and all that he is doing at Georgetown and the player he is going to be. He has a bright future. It was a great stage and fun to share it with him. It was cool for my family to experience that, but I’m definitely happy big brother came out on top.”

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Health

New training facility opens in Reading for athletes' mental and physical advancement

READING, Pa. – A training facility in Reading is officially open. Athlete’s IQ Institute celebrated their grand opening earlier on Saturday. The facility operates as a space to train athletes in almost every area – mentally and physically. The goal? Help shape them into a “total package” athlete. “Training that we deliver here… …that you […]

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation