Leah Howard played tennis in college before deciding that she wanted to take up sports psychology for her career. She has already completed her Master’s in Education and is currently working towards her PhD in Counselor Education with an emphasis in Sports Counseling. She has worked as an educator, a school counselor, and a professor….
Wayden Ay: Family Pressure, Transferring, & Rewriting My Legacy
I committed to play lacrosse at Georgetown University before my sophomore year of high school. My mother, two aunts, uncle, and grandparents all attended Georgetown, as well. To say the least it was “our family school.” Growing up with divorced parents: life was rough: I turned into a people pleaser because I was always trying…
Jessica McNellis: Hey, Tall Girl.
Hey, tall girl. What sport do you play? As a woman hedging over six feet tall at age 13, this is the question I fielded the most throughout my adolescence and into my twenties. The answer evolved from, “I don’t play any sports,” which was received with such perplexity, the conversation often ended right there;…
Emma Buford, Preston Anderson, & Joy Dennis: BIPOC Athletes in Predominantly White Sports
In honor of July being BIPOC mental health month, our Editor reached out to BIPOC athletes that compete in predominantly white sports. Historically, sports like rowing or sailing were only accessible to a privileged few. To this day, these sports remain predominantly white spaces. Athletes like Emma Buford, Preston Anderson, and Joy Dennis work to…
LivOn22 Virtual Athletic Event for Mental Health Awareness: Celebrating the Life of Olivia Wigon
Calling all athletes, runners, joggers, walkers, bikers, kayakers, surfers, and more! Join The Hidden Opponent and #LivOn22 as we honor the life of Olivia Wigon THIS SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2020 with a virtual athletic event. LivOn22 was created to celebrate the life of Olivia “Livi” Wigon through action and activism. Olivia died by suicide a…
Jake O’Connor: Now Is No Longer The Time For Silence
As our social media feeds seem to be returning to “normal,” The Hidden Opponent wanted to highlight an especially poignant perspective from a Black former student athlete. Jake O’Connor played football at the The College of William & Mary. He graduated in 2012 and has since taken up CrossFit. The following text and photos were…
Nicole Pacapelli: My Battle With My Mental Health and Loving Who I Am
Nicole Pacapelli currently coaches women’s soccer at Binghamton University. She previously coached at The University of Richmond, Queens College, and her alma mater, the University of New Haven. Pacapelli served as a two year captain while playing at New Haven and earned various accolades as a standout midfielder. After college and before coaching, she continued…
Emma Gee: The First Out LGBTQ+ Athlete at Brigham Young University
Emma Gee first published her coming out story in July 2019 in OutSports, an online platform dedicated to telling the stories of LGBT athletes. Emma has graciously allowed us to repost her story. This upcoming fall, Emma will be attending Temple University in Philadelphia where she will complete her final outdoor track season and pursue…
My Mental Health Through Quarantine: An Athlete’s Perspective
By Hailey Bianco, Intern I’ve been reflecting on the COVID-19 quarantine period and all I can think is that this has been such a weird time in our lives. As I’m sure many can relate, these past three months have felt like a year. At first, I was disappointed that my spring season was canceled,…
The Late Kobe Bryant and Granity Studios Partner With The Hidden Opponent For New Book, “Geese Are Never Swans”
The Hidden Opponent is incredibly honored and proud to have partnered with Kobe Bryant and Granity Studios on the forthcoming novel Geese Are Never Swans, out everywhere July 21. “From the mind of Kobe Bryant comes a new powerful novel about the punishing and the healing nature of sports! Geese Are Never Swans is an…
