NFL Franchise Announces Hiring Of Mental Skills Specialist
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 4: A helmet for the Detroit Lions is seen during warmups before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions announced a plethora of changes to their player personnel staff on Tuesday afternoon, which includes a brand new department for the 2021 season.
Detroit has added a department called "Player Wellness" for this fall. This staff includes two co-directors of player engagement and a mental skills specialist/clinician.
It turns out Dr. Michelle Garvin will be the team's mental skills specialist for at least this upcoming season. She spent several years at the University of Maryland, overseeing the Clinical and Sport Psychology program.
Dr. Garvin was responsible for providing therapy and performance enhancement sessions for student-athletes during her time at Maryland. It's unclear what she'll be required to do in Detroit, but that should be revealed at a later date.
Athletes' mental health shouldn't be ignored, so kudos to the Lions for giving this matter the care it deserves.
If all goes well, other NFL teams might follow in the Lions' footsteps.
Detroit's fan base seem to be on board with the new hires. Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit tweeted "Love seeing the team expand their departments in service to the players, including a mental skills specialist/clinician."
We'll find out this fall if Detroit's revolutionary staff can generate strong results on and off the field.
