Ally Frantzick works as CSB Athletics’ mental health intern

From Mental Health Monday (MHM) posts to a virtual support group for people with eating disorders, CSB’s new mental health intern senior Ally Frantzick is already making an impact. The position was created this year through the efforts of CSB Athletic Director Kelly Anderson-Diercks.

Frantzick, a CSB hockey player, is the first to fill this position. Mental Health Monday posts have been one of the projects Frantzick started. On Mondays, Frantzick creates an Instagram post on the CSB Athletics page with either a motivational quote, piece of advice or affirmation to help uplift students. For the MHM posts, Anderson-Diercks and Frantzick start by brainstorming topics they believe athletes will benefit from. Frantzick then does research on the topic for a specific post to ensure she finds a reliable source and gives students accurate information.

Another project Frantzick has helped organize is a virtual support group for people with eating disorders. This was an idea sent to Frantzick and Anderson-Diercks, so they decided to create this resource for those struggling with an ED. Frantzick said the decision process for each project is based on whatever is brought to her attention. If ideas are sent in, she knows someone in the community would benefit from this suggestion. There are a few ways Bennies can give their input or suggestions on ideas they want to be highlighted.

Many students have reached out online or in-person to Frantzick with their ideas. In addition to this, a mental health survey was sent out to CSB student-athletes. The survey gave students an opportunity to share their feedback on their experiences and address anything they would like the Athletic Department to do pertaining to mental health, and it allowed student-athletes to anonymously share any ideas they would like to discusss. This survey will serve as a key step in helping student-athletes down the road.

“Good mental health is imperative to performance in sport. Having basic resources for taking care of oneself available to our student-athletes can make a world of a difference in how a day of classes goes and how practice will go later in the day and carries through to bedtime,” head athletic trainer Erin Ross said.

Frantzick and Anderson-Diercks are also planning to meet with the Student Athlete Advisory Council and every sports team to give an overview on future projects and ideas. They also want to meet with all the coaches to gather a full understanding.

“The coaches’ perceptions are going to be different than the athletes,” Frantzick said.

Frantzick’s interest in this position stemmed from going through her own mental health struggles. Her own experience opened her eyes to how common it is for college students to be struggling in their own day-to-day lives.

“Recognition is the first and key step toward building a strong community surrounding mental health,” Ross said.

When her own teammates were struggling and didn’t know what to do, Frantzick began giving them advice and various resources. When she heard the Athletic Department wanted to focus more on student-athletes’ mental health, she reached out. Frantzick’s goals for the position were to bring awareness and uplift this topic, especially with the recent suicides of elite athletes.

“It inspired me to take action in our own school,” Frantzick said.

Frantzick has received positive feedback from fellow students with everything she is doing to bring awareness to mental health, which sparked the conversation about the future of the position.

“Kelly wants to make it a long-term thing,” Frantzick said.

This new position has been received with welcoming arms by many and is likely to remain a part of CSB for years to come.

“Anytime we can bring attention to the importance of mental health in all college students, not just athletes, it’s a positive in my book,” Ross said. “Having Ally, a senior student-athlete, in this new internship role has multiple benefits. She can relate to the ups and downs of being a student and an athlete, and she already has a fantastic rapport with the rest of the student body.”