Why "Ven-U"?
As ven is the root of vein - that which allows the circulatory system to bring blood back to the heart - the purpose of Ven-U is to empower student-athletes to find balance beyond their athletic endeavors, develop a strong emotional core they can return to, and teach lifelong skills for wellness and mental health.
supporting the wellness of College Athletes
If you follow college athletics, you know the stressors and struggles that college athletes face.
The goal of Ven U is to help student-athletes learn skills and tools to navigate their lives.
Athletes understand the value of small gains, and a trajectory toward improvement. Goals and PRs are a part of every sport and training program.
A golfer doesn’t think their average can immediately go from 85 to 72. They recognize that certain aspects of their game require focus and improvement.
A runner doesn’t expect to go from a 4:28 to a 3:59 within a week.
A basketball player doesn’t think their 3-point shooting percentage will leap significantly without practice.
This concept is understood across all sports.
Our mission is to help student-athletes set goals to improve their life balance and mental health by charting a course, engaging in exercises, and developing skills. If "life health" is at a 6.8 on a 10-point scale, what could be done to help move it to a 7.0? And when at a 7.0, what could be done to help move to a 7.2? Etc.
Keeping track of progress over time will show how changes and intentionality can lead to desired outcomes and improvements.
The goal is to…
- present in-person seminars to teams and coaching staffs on a variety of wellness topics, leading to participation in regular wellness gatherings - online and in person
- help college athletic departments implement curriculum and resources to support the mental health of their athletes
- create student leadership teams to guide direction and serve as student liaisons
- develop online programs that students can tap into, including the stories of college and professional athletes, and experts in different topics, share their mental-health stories, and provide encouragement and resources
- have trained facilitators who can do small group work online
- produce online lessons and learning opportunities
- run summer sports camps for 12-18 year olds that also have an emphasis on mental wellness, staffed by college athletes who have been trained as leaders and wellness facilitators
Other hopes...
- create programs that incentivize involvement, whether competition between teams in a particular school, or between schools in particular conferences
- mentor student leaders in each school, and on each team, so access and support is nearby
- educate coaches on needs of students, and an understanding of mental health
- partner with professional sports teams, sporting goods companies, apparel companies, and other companies that students use, to have prizes available to athletes who complete various curriculums and trainings
- have service opportunities for athletes, where they have exposure to developing countries, doing building projects and outreach, while leading sports clinics and teaching mental health tools