Beyond the Game: Supporting Student-Athletes’ Mental Health

For student-athletes, success can become so central to their identity that the pressure to perform leaves little room for vulnerability or self-discovery. In this episode of the Brewing Wellness podcast, Corrine Barros, chairperson of the UFT Physical Education Committee, speaks with Kotaro Umeda, a motivational speaker, about his journey from athlete to mental health advocate. Together, they discuss the pressures of perfectionism, the importance of prioritizing process over outcome, and ways to help students develop the resilience, courage and self-awareness to thrive both on and off the field.