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Former basketball coach Mark Potter on stage giving inspirational speech about mental health
Matthew Alford / Hinds Community College

Student-Athletes learn to shatter mental health stigma

11/10/2022 10:21:00 AM

RAYMOND, MS – Student-athletes can be tough both physically and mentally, but sometimes they need help in accomplishing that.
 
That's part of the message conveyed by Coach Mark Potter and his wife Nanette in a talk to student-athletes at Hinds Community College Nov. 8 in Cain-Cochran Hall. This event was made possible by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.
 
Titled "The Silent Epidemic," the session taught by both the Potters, owners of Dedicated to Uncommon Principles (D2UP.org), was aimed at shattering the stigma surrounding mental health and sports.
 
Coach Potter, a veteran college basketball coach and the winningest coach in Newman University (Wichita, Kansas) history, travels the country with his wife giving inspirational speeches that help people suffering from depression and self-doubt. His moving speeches inspire audiences while providing strategies for social and emotional wellness and offering hope for recovery.
 
During the speech, Coach Potter talked about his own bout with depression after finishing one of his most successful seasons at Newman University and how he his thoughts were transformed.
 
"I had a huge void in my gut that was hard to explain," Potter said. "I started to not feel confident, feel like I didn't know anything and that I'm not fit to be a coach. I learned that when you don't address the serotonin levels in your brain, you start thinking in ways you didn't think before."
 
Hinds student-athletes were also taught how to be tough physically in their own sport and how to be tough with their mental health.
 
"There's a difference in being tough in the athletic world and being tough with your mental health," said Potter. "There is a time and place to be tougher than nails and there's a time and place to stand up and say you need help. It's ok to ask for help."
 
Director of Athletics Nathan Werremeyer knew the Hinds student-athletes would benefit from this speech and looks forward to how he can help them in the future.
 
"Having Coach Potter and his wife visit Hinds was an outstanding experience," Werremeyer said. "Their ability to share their experience of struggling with mental health is something that really resonates with people because they can relate to what they're going through. We had great feedback from students, faculty, and staff about the event, and we're looking forward to doing more things that can help our students with anything they might need help with."
 
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