In this episode of Athletes OnBalance, Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer of the NCAA, explores the connections between brain health, physical, and mental health in student-athletes. Dr. Hainline discusses his initiatives to lead the development of effective concussion management protocols, the link between sleep and mental health disorders, and the importance of treating the mind and body as one.

Mike Locksley, head football coach at the University of Maryland, joins this episode of Athletes OnBalance. Coach Locksley has been coaching for more than 30 years, including eight seasons as a full-time head coach. His coaching resume includes positions at major programs like the University of Alabama, University of Florida, and University of Illinois. During the 2017 season, he won a national championship while serving on Coach Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Coach Locksley recently led Maryland to its third consecutive winning season. In this episode, he discusses Meiko, his late son who struggled with a mental health disorder and how his family navigated this difficult time together. Coach Locksley also spoke about Maryland’s ongoing work to provide mental health resources to its student athletes, how he pours himself into the development of each student athlete on and off the field, what he learned from working with Coach Saban, and the urgent need to bring more awareness to the mental health crisis facing our society.

Kaleigh Kurtz, a defender for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League, joins this episode of Athletes OnBalance. Kaleigh has been a member of two NWSL championship teams, both in 2018 and 2019 with the Courage. Last season, she was nominated for NWSL Defender of the Year and named to the league’s Best XI Second Team. Incredibly, she also recently completed her second straight “Iron Woman” season in which she played every minute for her club. In this episode, Kaleigh discusses her experiences with sports psychologists, the importance of controlling the controllables, the challenges that high-level athletes face when they retire from playing, the verbal abuse she endured from a former coach and her struggles that resulted from it, finding the strength to speak up and demand change, and how she is helping others to ensure they never feel alone.

Walt Norley, OnBalance Founder and CEO, joins this episode of Athletes OnBalance as the guest with special host Dr. Ginger Gilmore, Director of Behavioral Medicine at the University of Alabama. Walt, a former student athlete who played quarterback at Ohio State University and the University of Georgia, is a tech entrepreneur with more than four decades of experience successfully building and running companies. OnBalance – a comprehensive platform for measuring, managing, and improving athletes’ mental health – is his sixth company. In this episode, Walt talks about his experience as a student athlete, his struggle to accept having a mental health disorder and how he learned to manage it, the reason he launched OnBalance, why OnBalance is a necessity for athletic departments, and the importance of breaking the stigma of mental health in sports.

Julie Kliegman, copy chief at Sports Illustrated, joins this episode of Athletes OnBalance. Julie has been a leading voice in the sports media landscape whose coverage focuses on athletes and their mental health. Her work has appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Post, The Ringer and BuzzFeed. In March 2024, her new book titled “Mind Game: An Inside Look at the Mental Health Playbook of Elite Athletes” will be released for sale. In this episode, Julie explains why we should reevaluate how we use the phrase “mental toughness,” the empathetic shift in how sports media covers mental health, the importance of the public granting athletes their humanity, and how social media and other outlets have helped athletes come forward to share their struggles.

Dan Radakovich, Director of Athletics at the University of Miami — recognized as one of the most progressive and successful leaders in college athletics — joins this episode of Athletes OnBalance. Dan, who previously served as the Director of Athletics at Clemson and Georgia Tech, has had an incredible career building and advancing some of the leading athletic departments in the country. In this episode, he shares how Miami is prioritizing athlete mental health and how the conversation has shifted among coaches, administrators and student-athletes. He also discusses his personal journey with mental wellness, and how he helped his son, a member of the 2016 National Championship football team at Clemson, overcome similar hurdles.

Dr. Katie O’Neal, Chief Medical Advisor for the Southeastern Conference (SEC), joins this episode of Athletes OnBalance. She holds several other positions, including Chief Medical Officer at a regional medical center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, associate professor at LSU and member of the SEC’s Medical Guidance Task Force. In this episode, Dr. O’Neal shares her thoughts on the mental health crisis facing the country, how social media creates pressure in a decentralized sense of community, her desire to make a proactive difference in the lives of student athletes by creating a more accessible ecosystem and her vision of a future where everyone is properly trained and educated to handle a mental health issue

Cailin Bracken, a lacrosse player at Vanderbilt University, joins Walt on this episode of Athletes OnBalance. Cailin, who plays attack for the Commodores, is entering her senior year. As a college freshman, she made the decision to step away to address her mental health. After eventually returning to campus and to the sport she loves, she wrote a powerful letter to college sports, demanding everyone involved be better at caring for the mental health of student athletes. During this episode, Cailin discusses her experience as a student athlete when the pandemic began, how a concussion affected her mental health, the importance of taking time off, being vulnerable and communicating with teammates and coaches, setting clear intentions as a student athlete, and the support she received throughout her mental health journey.

Jimmy Johns, a former University of Alabama football player joins Walt on this episode of Athletes OnBalance. Jimmy, who was a star quarterback in high school in his home state of Mississippi, went on to play football at the University of Alabama. As a member of the Crimson Tide from 2005-07, he primarily played running back and later converted to linebacker. In 2006, he was selected as Alabama’s Special Teams Player of the Year. During this episode, Jimmy shares his mental health journey and opens up about the adversity he has overcome throughout his life. He also discusses his close relationship with Coach Nick Saban, returning to Alabama to finish his degree, depression, family, loss, his continued pursuit of personal growth, and the importance of treating mental health like a physical illness.

On episode 2, Walt is joined by Nick Saban, Head Coach for the University of Alabama Football Team. Coach Saban has won seven national championships, which is the most in college football history. Of those seven titles, he has won six at Alabama since he took the helm there in 2007 and eight SEC championships. He has coached four Heisman Trophy winners and hundreds of players who have gone on to star in the NFL. Aside from all those accolades, Coach Saban has long been an advocate for the mental health of athletes. In this episode, he discusses how crucial it is to recognize the connection between an athlete’s physical ability and their mental approach. Coach Saban also talks about individualized approaches to helping athletes based on their specific needs, finding the right people to help athletes be the best version of themselves, and the importance of being goal oriented and self-disciplined.

On episode 1, Walt is joined by Dr. Ginger Gilmore, Director of Behavioral Medicine and Athletic Trainer at the University of Alabama. Dr. Gilmore has been with Alabama for nearly 30 years, including the last 16 with the school’s football team where she works closely with Head Coach Nick Saban to spearhead mental health efforts for the team. She’s also responsible for creating the behavioral health program for the entire athletic department at Alabama which is now considered the premier program in the NCAA. In this episode, Dr. Gilmore discusses her work in helping support the mental health of student athletes and the “why” behind the behavioral health program. She also talks about the contributing factors to the rise in mental health challenges and offers insight for coaches, teammates and family members.