‘Where We Play’ Initiative to Discuss the Human Side of Sports

As part of its Where We Play initiative, the APA Foundation will present two CME-eligible sessions today focused on mental health. Where We Play supports mental health literacy and awareness for athletes and performers at all stages of their careers—youth to professional.

The sessions are tailored to meet the needs of clinicians, sports administrators, coaches, team managers, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the mental health opportunities and challenges presented within elite athletics. The sessions will be at 1:30-3 p.m. PT and 3:45-5:15 p.m. PT, both in the Gold Ballroom of the JW Marriott.

The first session, “Expanding the Field: An Introduction to Sports Psychiatry and Interdisciplinary Health Care and Athletics,” will explore unique considerations that distinguish sports psychiatry from general mental health practices. The session will be co-moderated by Mark Allen, M.D., founder of Peak Sports Psychiatry, and Brook Choulet, M.D., founder of Choulet Performance Psychiatry, and will feature a panel of psychologists and counselors working for professional sports teams, including former NBA player Derek Anderson, currently a wellness counselor for the National Basketball Players Association.

The second session, “From the Arena to Everyday Life: An Exploration of Mental Health and Well-Being in Sport,” will consist of three panels, beginning with a conversation between Choulet; Jessica Bartley, Psy.D., senior psychological services director for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee; and Timothy Fong, M.D., a renowned sports psychiatrist at UCLA. The panelists will discuss strategies for raising mental health awareness and integrating mental health services within sports organizations.

In the second panel, Choulet will lead a fireside chat with Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, a member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and Olympic silver medalist Manteo Mitchell, an aspiring member of the 2026 U.S. bobsled team. Hamilton and Mitchell will share the coping mechanisms and mental health strategies that have allowed them to maintain a balance between performing at the highest level and maintaining wellness.

“It’s important for every athlete, whether you’re on a junior varsity team or a team of Olympic medalists, to understand that prioritizing your mental wellness is key to achieving your best performance—and, importantly, to living a fulfilling life when you’re not performing,” Hamilton said. “I’m looking forward to amplifying that message in Los Angeles and candidly sharing my own experiences with balancing my mental wellness and performance on the global stage.”

In the third panel, Mena Mirhom, M.D., chief well-being officer for nonprofit Athletes for Hope, will moderate a discussion on the human side of being an athlete with Ben Zobrist, two-time World Series champion and APA Foundation board member, and Kyra Carusa, current striker for the San Diego Wave and a member of the Irish national soccer team. The athletes will reflect on the long-term implications of prioritizing mental health in their careers and the importance of developing robust support systems for current and future athletes.

“Pressure mounts with unhealthy patterns of emotional, mental, and relational stress until it reaches a breaking point and not only affects the hero on the big stage, but also the human in private,” Zobrist said. “It’s more important than ever that young athletes hear from role models that prioritizing mental health is crucial.” ■

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