Raising Awareness

University of Maryland head football coach Michael Locksley is outspoken about the importance of mental well-being. But he is taking his support further in June, recognized as Men’s Mental Health Month. 

Locksley’s coaching staff, setting a precedent in Maryland, became the first to receive Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training after the passing of Maryland Senate Bill 165 on May 16. This landmark bill, signed by Gov. Wes Moore, mandates, "All Maryland public schools and public institutions are required to provide mental health training to coaches."

The MHFA training equips individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide support for those around them who may be facing mental health or substance use challenges. After completing the training on June 10 and 11, Locksley and his staff earned an MHFA certificate that is valid for three years. The certificate ensures they are prepared to handle such situations. 

Being exposed to training and being an outspoken leader regarding mental health is important to Locksley. His son, Meiko Locksley, battled mental health illnesses before he died in 2017.    

“Because of that experience and going through that, it led me to believe as a coach, for me to get the players that I coach to be the best version of themselves, I’ve got to make sure that I am giving them all the resources to be the best version of themselves,” Locksley said in an interview with SiriusXM Radio on June 12. 

Locksley’s training initiative is part of Maryland Athletics' ambition to certify all coaches and athletic staff with MHFA training. Dr. Kristi Hall, Director of Clinical and Sport Psychology at the University of Maryland, compared the training to becoming CPR certified.

“Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to assist and support others who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge,” she said.

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing administers the evidence-based early intervention course. It’s available virtually and in person and uses community-specific scenarios, activities and videos to teach the skills needed to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges. The course also teaches how to provide initial support until participants are connected with appropriate professional help.

Over 3 million people across the U.S. have been trained in MHFA by thousands of certified instructors. James Thomas Jr. is entering his fourth season as an assistant on Locksley's staff, including his third season as the Special Teams Coordinator and Outside Linebackers coach. He explained the usefulness of the training.

“I thought being able to sit down and get trained on mental health first aid was important to us because we put a large emphasis on our player’s mental health,” Thomas said. “I thought it gave us a great opportunity to understand what our guys could be going through and how to approach it, recognize it and report it. I left more educated and more confident on how to handle mental health situations. Our staff did a great job correlating the training to what we do on the football field.”   

Locksley also held a Mental Health Symposium at Jones-Hill House on May 11, during Mental Health Awareness Month. The open event saw attendees from Omega Psi Phi, the Maryland football staff and others. Locksley, a member of the historically Black fraternity, started the symposium as part of his pledge. 

Several guest speakers accompanied Locksley, including Dr. Hall; University of Maryland’s Head Team Physician and Assistant Director of the University Health Center, Dr. Yvette Rooks; University of Maryland’s Athletic Mental Health Counselor, Chris Williams; Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist and Director of Healthy Foundations, Dr. David Driver; Lead Campus Pastor of Zion Greenbelt, Larry Paige; and Certified Breath Coach and Flow Facilitator, Soul Cole.

The symposium covered topics such as how anxiety is diagnosed, psychiatric medication management for anxiety, somatic and physical symptoms of anxiety, the intersectionality of faith and mental illnesses and healing practices with sound bath meditation.

"According to data from the NCAA well-being studies, rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression have seen little change since the fall of 2020 and remain 1.5 to two times higher than identified before the COVID-19 pandemic," Hall said. "Additionally, death by suicide is now the second leading cause of death among NCAA student-athletes." 

Hall continued, "Coach Mike Locksley, along with Maryland Athletics and the Sport Psychology/Sports Medicine Department, supports and encourages Mental Health Awareness. It is important to educate our student-athletes and the community on mental illnesses and work to destigmatize mental health at all times."

Locksley believes the conversation surrounding mental health awareness is important, especially for people like him who are leaders in their community.  

“There’s no doubt that when an organization like Omega Psi Phi, a football coach, a powerful business leader or a powerful community leader steps out in front and talks openly about these things that have been typically taboo or things that haven’t been easy to discuss, I think it does soften it and make it a lot easier for people to step up and say, ‘I deal with some stuff too,’” he said. “‘I’ve got some luggage to unpack as well.’”