MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - There is an opponent for student-athletes that is not wearing a uniform and not standing on the opposite side of the field. But the opponent is ever present, far more challenging, and follows student-athletes from practice to the classroom to the game and back to the dorm room. It's an opponent that Maya Porrecca of Jenna Dumbrowsky hope to defeat on the Millersville University campus through open discussion and education. 

The opponent is mental health, and struggles come in many forms--anxiety, depression, eating disorders and burnout to name a few. Struggles with mental health are on the rise among student-athletes, reaching levels that the NCAA called a crisis. According to an NCAA study in 2022, reports of anxiety, depression and mental exhaustion among student-athletes exist as much as two times more than in the pre-pandemic world. Porrecca, a sophomore lacrosse player, and Dumbrowsky, a sophomore cross country and track athlete, endured it and witnessed the rise in mental health struggles among fellow student-athletes. Separately, the two discovered The Hidden Opponent, and they are now utilizing the organization's resources to make a positive impact on campus. 

The Hidden Opponent in a non-profit advocacy group founded by former Division I volleyball player Victoria Garrick and has expanded to 800 campus captains on more than 500 campuses around the world. Its focus is helping student-athletes with their mental health. 

Porrecca found The Hidden Opponent in 2021 while scrolling through Instagram. Dumbrowsky saw a former high school teammate post about it. 

"I thought it was a great organization and a perfect time to help it grow after so many athletes had lost their seasons (because of COVID)," said Porrecca. "I would say most athletes use their sport as an outlet and a break from reality so having that taken away because of the pandemic caused a spike in student-athletes mental health issues. I wanted to spread awareness in any way I could. The Hidden Opponent gave me that opportunity."

"It was really when my own mental health started to decline was when I want to get more involved with it here," said Dumbrowsky. "After I joined the Division II group, Maya reached out to me. We had never crossed paths before. She had been a campus captain for a year, and we started working together on it." 

Millersville's two campus captains focus on education. One recent meeting highlighted eating disorders in athletics. They also do activities that work on mindfulness and join virtual and interactive Zoom sessions with speakers from The Hidden Opponent. Porrecca and Dumbrowsky hope to serve as a frontline for their fellow student-athletes with prevention through the monthly sessions while providing a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on when needed. They are also guides, directing student-athletes to professionals when necessary. Getting those who are struggling to open up is often the most challenging but worthwhile step. Dr. Joseph Lynch, a counseling psychiatrist and director of the campus counseling center commends Porrecca and Dumbrowsky for starting the conversation in the student-athlete community. 

"There are more and more people in the entertainment industry and sports industry that are coming out and saying, 'I, too, am dealing with anxiety and depression.,'" said Lynch. "We need to bring it out into the open and put a spotlight on it so we cannot have it hidden away and people being ashamed about it. If you can encourage someone to talk to a counselor or talk to a coach, all of a sudden, that dimension of embarrassment gets softened. When you see people struggling with the same thing that you are, you can talk about it and know that you don't have to hide it. It becomes part of who you are rather than this dreaded, 'you are just being crazy.'"

Porrecca and Dumbrowsky are fully aware that mental health struggles are far more prevalent than most realize. According to the American College of Sports Medicine fewer than than 10% of student-athletes with mental health conditions seek professional help.

"I would say the biggest challenge for athletes in regards to mental health is asking for help," said Porecco. "It's very hard to accept when something isn't right and to admit it to yourself that you need help. I think many athletes struggle with getting help, not because the resources aren't there, but they don't want others to perceive them as weak. The Hidden Opponent creates small communities on campuses for a safe space for athletes to share their stories and speak up. The organization does a great job of being relatable and welcoming to all athletes no matter what they are struggling with."

Those struggling are certainly not alone. Dr. Lynch stated that while mental health issues were prevalent before the pandemic, the long isolation followed by a sudden emergence to normalcy brought on social anxieties. 

"It's almost as if we'd forgotten how to be with other people," said Lynch. "We look at the numbers of anxiety and depression, it has increased across the board."

The Hidden Opponent program also discusses time management as that is often cited as a cause of anxiety for student-athletes. Dumbrowsky experienced it herself as on top of competing in fall, winter and spring as an athlete and going to class, she held a job, which is all the more common among student-athletes with the continually rising cost of education. Lynch also noted the unique challenges that student-athletes face as full-time students, also participating full-time in a sport, must also work more than 20 hours a week because they must be self-supporting.

"There is so much that you want to get involved in and need to be involved with, but you lose track of yourself in all of that," said Dumbrowsky. "It's easy to let yourself fall to the bottom of the priority list."

The counseling center saw over 600 students in the last calendar year, and if statistics are accurate, many more could benefit from the services in the center. The center is doing its best to keep up with the needs of students, but according to Lynch, the frequency with which they see students is less than ideal. Because of the volume, there can be a first visit waiting list of several weeks. That is why Porrecca and Dumbrowsky hope that The Hidden Opponent program can serve as a bridge. 

"The amount of teammates I've tried to get help for their struggles is astronomical," said Dumbrowsky. "The counseling center is great but there are so many people that they have to see...I was fortunate because my coach made a call for me. There are just too many people struggling right now. What we want to do with The Hidden Opponent is to be the half-step in helping people get to where they need to go. That may be the counseling center or to a hotline or outside counseling. We help them figure out what they need to do next."

Both Porrecca and Dumbrowsky plan to become coaches after graduation, and through utilizing The Hidden Opponent at Millersville, they hope they can not only help their current teammates and friends but can also make an impact in the lives of students that they work with in the future. 

"Being informed about student-athlete mental health will help me be a better and more understanding coach for my future players," said Porrecca. "I want to do everything in my power to create a healthy environment in my future career. Being a campus captain has taught me about a variety of organizations that support student-athlete mental health that I hope to reference again in the future."

The Hidden Opponent group will meet on April 3 and April 24 at 7 p.m. in the Student Memorial Center room 18. Porrecca and Dumbrowsky encourage fellow students to attend the sessions to continue building a supportive community. 

"It may be cheesy to say it, but talking helps," said Dumbrowsky. "If you have a story, it's important to share it because you never know who needs to hear it." 

For information on the Millersville University Counseling Center, its services and contact information, click here. Find more information about The Hidden Opponent here.