Photo from “The Hero Within: A Mental Health Discussion”
With a mission to improve the mental and physical health of athletes, Kevin Love founded the Kevin Love Foundation (KLF) in 2018. In this exclusive interview with Kevin Love, KLF Executive Director Regina Miller, and KLF Co-Director of Education Ellie Foster, they talk about their upcoming inaugural event, the Student-Athlete Mental Health Summit.
Love not only incorporated mental skills training into his basketball routine, but also learned to talk about his emotions and be open and vulnerable with those around him. His experience in the NBA and his mental health journey led him to define the four main pillars of the Kevin Love Foundation: research, grantmaking, advocacy and education. Through his passion to share his story to raise awareness and help others, the Kevin Love Foundation set out to create a curriculum for student-athletes, primarily middle and high school students. “The curriculum we created with the Kevin Love Foundation helps set an example for student-athletes that they can talk about their emotions and don’t have to hide when they’re struggling, which is something I learned from my own experience in the NBA,” Love said.
There are currently 15 lessons in the curriculum, each teaching a mental health tool or skill. “Strength is about being open and vulnerable, so all of our lessons help students learn that through the strength of modeling vulnerability,” Foster says. What’s unique about the Kevin Love Fund is that the co-directors of education will find ways to incorporate this curriculum into any infrastructure, helping facilitators like coaches and teachers customize programs to fit their needs and available time. “Coaches tell us that when they do these lessons for their teams, it helps them build a team culture where players can be honest and open about their mental health,” Love says.
Love believes that both mental health education and mental skills training are important to excel as an athlete. When asked about the role of mental skills training in game day preparation, Love responded, “Mental skills training is paramount to my game day preparation. I’m always looking for ways to improve my focus and stay calm under pressure through techniques like visualization, meditation, breathing exercises, and positive self-talk.” Kevin Love and the Kevin Love Foundation are continually adding programs and resources to broaden their reach and strive to positively impact the lives of many student-athletes. “The reason Kevin is such a great role model for other athletes is because he truly understands that you’re only as good as your team,” Miller said. Love has used his experience in the NBA to shape many of the lessons in his education curriculum.
On June 29, the Kevin Love Foundation will host its first-ever Student-Athlete Mental Health Summit. “The summit will bring together professional athletes from the middle school, high school and college levels along with current and former student-athletes to normalize the conversation around mental health in sports and share personal experiences,” Miller said. A panel of athletes, including Kevin Love, Victoria Garrick (founder of The Hidden Opponent) and Solomon Thomas (co-founder of The Defensive Line), will be on hand to share their personal experiences. At the end of the event, attendees will participate in one of the Kevin Love Foundation’s lessons, led by co-directors of education.
“There will come a day when all student-athletes will no longer be competing on a professional, collegiate or high school team, and these lessons will help them prepare for that transition and reflect on themselves more holistically,” Love said.Number It starts at 9am PST, is free to attend, and will be held online.
