Bend but don’t break: An exploratory analysis of a 12-week resilience building intervention for NCAA athletes

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Caroline C. Cooney and Faizan Imtiaz

Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA

Citation

Cooney, C.C., Imtiaz, F. (2026). Bend but don’t break: An exploratory analysis of a 12-week resilience building intervention for NCAA athletes. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 57(1), 18-38. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2026.57.018

Abstract

Though researchers have examined the efficacy of resilience interventions in professional athletes, there is a dearth of research focusing on athletes who compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). These individuals experience significant stressors yet often underutilize mental health resources available to them. To this end, the current work presents findings from an exploratory study testing the effectiveness of a 12-week resilience intervention in a sample of 40 NCAA Division I athletes from various sports with freshmen, Caucasian, and women making a majority of the sample. Following the intervention, participants’ overall resilience scores significantly increased. Additionally, athletes were significantly more likely to seek instrumental support from others (e.g., family, friends, teammates) as a coping mechanism. These findings warrant further empirical research to test the utility of similar interventions in enhancing not only athlete wellness and performance, but also promoting help-seeking behaviors, which may be critical towards dismantling the mental health stigma within this population.

Keywords: Collegiate athletes, Coping strategies, Proactive resilience training, Sport psychology

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