Student-athletes advocate for mental health awareness

St. Joe’s chapter of The Hidden Opponent, a nonprofit mental health organization for athletes, is working to raise awareness for mental health and create a safe space to foster conversations about wellness.

The Hidden Opponent is based in California and was founded in 2019 by former Division I athlete Victoria Garrick Browne to advocate for and support athletes’ mental health. Over the last five years, the organization has reached over 800 high school and college campuses around the world. The St. Joe’s chapter was founded during the fall 2024 semester.

St. Joe’s is part of The Hidden Opponent’s Division I East Green Group, along with the University of Rhode Island and Duquesne University. The Campus Captains — ambassadors for The Hidden Opponent required to go through mental health training and certification — work together to plan events and advocate for mental health awareness.

Jenna Currie, a senior utility/catcher on the St. Joe’s softball team, serves as co-president of the chapter. Currie said The Hidden Opponent aims to stimulate conversation surrounding the mental health of student-athletes on campus.

“Our goal is to create a safe space where athletes can come in and have the ability to share their struggles, to share the things that have gone well and give them a space and a community to help support them and create that conversation around mental health so that no one is struggling alone,” Currie said.

Evie Holder, a senior rower and captain of the women’s rowing team, serves as vice president for the chapter. Holder heard about the club at a meeting for St. Joe’s student-athlete advisory committee. Having experience working in mental health organizations, Holder wanted to get involved.

“I want to spread awareness, de-stigmatize mental health,” Holder said. “Our biggest thing is that we always see human over athlete. Who you are and your mental health always comes first.”

The chapter holds monthly meetings and events to promote the organization’s mission.

“We’ve done a mental health poster where you write down tips,” Holder said. “It was a write one, take one, so you take a tip and write a tip.”

Payton Kochanski, a junior distance runner and co-president of the St. Joe’s chapter, said the organization significantly improved her mental health during the fall 2024 cross country and track seasons.

“It started to affect my performance and my academics,” Kochanski said. “When I heard about The Hidden Opponent, it made me realize that I wasn’t the only one, and that there were resources out there for me.”

Scott Sokoloski, Ph.D., director of Counseling and Psychological Services at St. Joe’s, serves as the campus advisor for The Hidden Opponent. Sokoloski said student-athletes face balancing the pressure of perfectionism and competitive sports, among other responsibilities.

“There can be a misconception that student-athletes have to be ‘perfect,’ so when they experience normal challenges, it can be difficult to acknowledge them and to seek help,” Sokoloski said.

Sokoloski emphasized the importance of having peer support in normalizing conversations about mental health and supporting the athlete’s overall wellbeing.

“The concept of cura personalis at St. Joe’s means caring for and supporting the student as a whole person, not just as an athlete, and groups like The Hidden Opponent are trying to break the stigma so that student-athletes can prioritize their mental health along with their physical health,” Sokoloski said.

Monica Sowinski ’26 contributed to this story.