In October 2004, Boston University director of athletics Mike Lynch announced that a sports psychology services unit has been created for all Terrier student-athletes, making BU one of the few schools in the nation to provide this service.
The formation of the unit is a combined effort among world-renowned sports psychology professor Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky, the athletic department's Student-Athlete Support Services and the athletic training staffs, the Department of Sports Medicine, and the support of University Executive Vice President Joseph Mercurio.
The mission of the department is to provide all student-athletes with the most consistent, effective, and efficient assistance possible in order to enhance their performances on and off the field. The sports psychologists and the BU sports psychology graduate students will work closely with the student-athletes one-on-one to deal with issues relating to anxiety, stress, performance enhancement, depression and other related areas that are judged appropriate by the sports medicine and Student-Athlete Support Services staff.
"This is another exciting step forward for our athletics department and the student-athletes who are part of our program," said Lynch. "This is part of our commitment to providing for our student-athletes the best opportunities and experiences.
"This unit will assist all of our teams and coaches as they deal with the increasing challenges of handling issues ranging from stress and time management to more serious challenges like depression and anxiety," said Lynch.
"The sports psychology clinic is a 'win-win' for both BU athletics and the graduate training program in sports psychology at the University," said Zaichkowsky, who is head of the sport and exercise psychology specialization. This is a collaborative training program in mental health and behavioral medicine, which is offered by the Schools of Education and Medicine.
"Student-athletes will be given access to behavioral health care and the graduate students will be provided with valuable counseling experience under high quality supervision."
Maria Hutsick, Director of Sports Medicine, and Karen Plescia, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Support Services, will co-manage the referral process and the coordination of the program. Dr. Zaichkowsky, along with his colleagues Dr. Amy Baltzell and Jim Howland will provide the service. In addition, team physicians on the sports medicine staffs will evaluate and determine the care of athletes who have more serious medical or mental health issues.
Staff
Dr. Len Zaichkowsky
Sports Psychologist
University of Alberta '66, Oklahoma '70, Toledo '73
Dr. Cynthia L. Adams
Sports Psychologist
Arizona State '82, Boston University '89, '92
