This school year, Westminster has a new face down at Turner. Jeremiah Neal, the school’s dedicated sports and performance counselor, who also serves as one of the Upper School counselors and a basketball coach, seeks to use this new role as a way to help student athletes perform to the best of their abilities.
Shannon Soares, the director of athletics, drove this new change in hopes of cultivating a healthier and happier athletics experience for all student athletes. This initiative aligns with many of Soares’s other developments in the athletic department, such as sponsoring an out-of-town retreat for the distance track runners, allowing lock-in sleepovers for the boys soccer and girls cross country teams, and hosting a Night of Champions to honor the achievements of state-championship teams at Westminster. Her motivation behind creating a dedicated sports counselor position is no different.
A study from Sports Health Medical Journal claims that “athletes who are experiencing the symptoms of depression or anxiety may be more prone to injury.” One of Westminster’s top priorities is ensuring the safety of its students.
“My essential duty is to provide 360 care for our students and help combat many of the challenges they’re facing,” said Neal.
Such challenges include balancing rigorous academics with athletic responsibilities, combating sleep deprivation from early morning and late practices, and avoiding burnout while juggling all of these challenges at once.
Neal’s role will help address this delicate balance by providing strategies and support, so students don’t have to choose between their sports and their studies.
In particular, Neal’s role entails recognizing students’ value beyond their academic and athletic capabilities.
“We often forget that athletes are people too,” said Neal. “We think there is defined compartmentalization between athletic, academic, and personal life when, in reality, each of these aspects of life is intertwined with and affects the next.”
Neal uses this philosophy as well as a holistic approach to specific student situations in order to help make important decisions such as whether or not to continue pursuing a particular sport.
“It is amazing to have someone to help me figure out whether or not I want to continue diving,” said ninth grader Addy Labouchere. “My desire to focus on cheer and gymnastics has made it difficult to decipher between what I want and what will benefit me the most in the long run.”
In addition to decision making, Neal also serves to help confront burnout, advocate for athletes to coaches and teachers, and offer support during times of injury or other loss that may impact sports performance.
“I appreciate how Coach Soares is prioritizing new support systems for the athletes and prepping them to be able to perform their best,” said ninth grader Aaron Liu.
Neal’s expertise and experience, coupled with the ever increasing demands of life as a student athlete at Westminster, are essential in giving Westminster’s athletes the support they need, both on and off the field. This means not just boosting their performance, but also providing support in every aspect of their school life.
Edited by Eva Bevington
