Rick Aberman had an idea. An idea that some people found unnecessary. He wanted to use his Ph.D. in developmental psychology to help athletes at the University of Wisconsin deal with whatever issues they were experiencing.
This was 1986. Mental health wasn’t a topic of conversation back then. Yet Aberman convinced the school to hire him as sports psychologist in the athletic department. Not everyone agreed with the decision. One department official openly wondered if they were setting themselves up for trouble.
kAmQ}@H H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2== <:?5D @7 AC@3=6>D E92E H6 ?6G6C 925 367@C6[Q p36C>2? C642==D E96 >2? D2J:?8]k^Am
kAmp36C>2? D92C65 E92E DE@CJ @G6C =F?49 E96 @E96C 52J] w6 D>:=6D 2?5 D92<6D 9:D 9625 ?@H[ <?@H:?8 :E D@F?565 23DFC5 E@ 9:> 324< E96? 2?5 H@F=5 D@F?5 ?@E @?=J 23DFC5 3FE 8C@DD=J ?68=:86?E :7 FEE6C65 E@52J]k^Am
kAm%92?<7F==J[ D@4:6E2= G:6HD @? >6?E2= 962=E9 92G6 6G@=G65] %96 DE:8>2 2EE24965 E@ D@>6@?6 D66<:?8 AC@76DD:@?2= 96=A 92D D=@H=J 6C@565] %96 H@C=5 92D 364@>6 >F49 >@C6 @A6? 2?5 <?@H=658623=6 2?5 2446AE:?8 E92E >6?E2= 962=E9 😀 2 C62= E9:?8 E92E 27764ED D@ >2?J A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm%96 DA@CED H@C=5 92D A=2J65 2 <6J C@=6 😕 D9:?:?8 2 =:89E @? E9:D 4@>A=6I :DDF6] (96? z6G:? {@G6 2?5 $:>@?6 q:=6D DE2?5 @? E96:C 8:2?E A=2E7@C>D 2?5 D92C6 E96:C >6?E2= 962=E9 32EE=6D[ :E 2==@HD @E96CD E@ D66 2?5 <?@H E92E E96J 2C6 ?@E 2=@?6[ E92E E96J 5@?VE 92G6 E@ <66A E96:C @H? 762CD 2?5 DECF88=6D 9:556? 😕 E96 52C<]k^Am
kAmp36C>2? 92D 366? 2 4CFD256C 😕 E9:D 2C62 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6] w6 H2D @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE DA@CED ADJ49@=@8:DED 6>A=@J65 3J 2 4@==686 2E9=6E:4 56A2CE>6?E[ 3642>6 E96 %H:?D 5:C64E@C @7 A62< A6C7@C>2?46 2?5 ?@H 96=AD 2E9=6E6D 😕 9:D AC:G2E6 AC24E:46] p?5 E9@F89 96 D66D D:8?:7:42?E AC@8C6DD 😕 >6?E2= 962=E9 2H2C6?6DD 😕 DA@CED[ 96 2=D@ <?@HD E9:D C64<@?:?8 C6BF:C6D 72C >@C6 H@C<] %C28:4 42D6D @7 D6G6C2= 4@==686 2E9=6E6D E2<:?8 E96:C =:76 C646?E=J F?56CD4@C6D E96 ?665 E@ AC:@C:E:K6 >6?E2= 962=E9]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 >@C6 C6D@FC46D ?@H 2G2:=23=6 E@ @FC 2E9=6E6D E92? H6 92G6 6G6C 925[ H9:49 😀 8C62E[Q p36C>2? D2:5] QqFE H6VC6 DE:== ?@E 9:EE:?8 E96 >2C<]Qk^Am
kAmw6 ?@E6D E92E E96C6 2C6 4@==686 2E9=6E:4 56A2CE>6?ED 2?5 AC@76DD:@?2= @C82?:K2E:@?D E92E DE:== 5@ ?@E 6>A=@J 2 7F==\E:>6 ADJ49@=@8:DE] p?5 2D E62>D :?G6DE 962G:=J 😕 2?2=JE:4D[ E649?@=@8J[ EC2:?:?8 >6E9@5D 2?5 A=2J6C 56G6=@A>6?E[ p36C>2? H@?56CD H9J E96C6 :D?VE 2 DEC@?86C 6>A92D:D @? E96 9F>2? 56G6=@A>6?E A:646]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 DE:== 562=:?8 H:E9 A6@A=6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? `__ A6@A=6 7C@> 2== 2C62D @7 (:D4@?D:?VD 2E9=6E:4 56A2CE>6?E D@F89E p36C>2?VD D6CG:46D 9:D 7:CDE J62C 😕 `hge] x>28:?6 H92E E92E ?F>36C H@F=5 =@@< =:<6 E@52J 8:G6? E96 :?4C62D65 7@4FD @? >6?E2= 962=E9]k^Am
kAmp36C>2? 3682? H@C<:?8 H:E9 %H:? r:E:6D E62>D 2?5 2E9=6E6D 😕 E96 62C=J `hh_D] w:D >:DD:@? 92D 366? QE@ ?@C>2=:K6 :E[ E@ 56>JDE:7J :E[Q 3FE 96 2=D@ ?@E6D E92E >2?J 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 92AA6?65 @FE @7 G:6H[ D@>6E:>6D 😕 DEC2?86 A=246D 😕 2 32==A2C< @C 2C6?2[ 3642FD6 9:D 4=:6?E H2D?VE 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 @E96CD <?@H:?8]k^Am
kAmQ*@F ?665 E@ 86E :E E@ E96 =6G6= H96C6 8FJD DE@A C@==:?8 E96:C 6J6D =:<6[ ~9[ E96J 92G6 E@ D66 E96 D9C:?<[Q 96 D2:5] Qx 2=H2JD AFE :E 2D[ 2D<:?8 7@C 96=A 😀 2 D:8? @7 DEC6?8E9[ ?@E H62<?6DD]Qk^Am
kAmr92?8:?8 A6C46AE:@?D 5@6D?VE 92AA6? BF:4<=J] %96 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ E9@F89[ 92D ?6G6C 76=E >@C6 ?646DD2CJ 2?5 :>A@CE2?E E92? :E 5@6D ?@H]k^Am
kAm%96 H@C=5 92D 492?865 D@ >F49] %96 A@H6C 2?5 :?7=F6?46 @7 E649?@=@8J 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2 92G6 :?E6?D:7:65 E96 AC6DDFC6 @? 2E9=6E6D] (6 <?@H >@C6[ H6 56>2?5 >@C6[ H6 6IA64E >@C6[ 2?5 ?@H H6 92G6 2 7@CF> E@ 4C:E:BF6 2?5[ 😕 E96 H@CDE 42D6D[ C:5:4F=6 2E9=6E6D] %H:EE6C 42? 766= =:<6 2 46DDA@@= @7 ?682E:G:EJ D@>6E:>6D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 2 >@C6 4@>A=:42E65 H@C=5[Q p36C>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAmx 92G6 2=H2JD 25>:C65 2E9=6E6D[ 6DA64:2==J 9:89 D49@@= <:5D[ 7@C E96:C H:==:?8?6DD E@ AFE E96>D6=G6D @FE E96C6[ <?@H:?8 E96:C A6C7@C>2?46 4@F=5 C6DF=E 😕 6>32CC2DD>6?E @C 72:=FC6] %92EVD A2CE @7 E96 4@G6?2?E E96J >2<6 😕 36:?8 A9JD:42==J 8:7E65 2?5 D<:==65] qFE 2E9=6E6D 2C6?VE 6I6>AE 7C@> A6CD@?2= DECF88=6D E92E E96 C6DE @7 D@4:6EJ 6?4@F?E6CD] s6AC6DD:@? 5@6D?VE 42C6 :7 2 A6CD@? 42? 5F?< 2 32D<6E32== @C 9:E 2 32D632== cad 766E]k^Am
kAmp36C>2? 492==6?86D 2E9=6E6D 96 96=AD E@ 5:8 566A E@ 6I2>:?6 E96:C Q:??6C H@C=5]Q w:D 9@A6 😀 E92E DA@CED 6?E:E:6D >2<6 >6?E2= 962=E9 2? :?4C62D:?8 AC:@C:EJ 2?5 E@ ?@C>2=:K6 E96 4@?G6CD2E:@?] w:D @G6C2C49:?8 >6DD286 E@ 2E9=6E6Di pD< 7@C 96=A]k^Am
kAm©a_aa $E2C%C:3F?6] ‘:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DE2CEC:3F?6]4@>^QmDE2CEC:3F?6]4@>k^2m] s:DEC:3FE65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EC:3F?64@?E6?E286?4J]4@>Qm%C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2022 Tribune Content Agency.