DETROIT (3/10/2020) -- The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics continues to educate its students and staff with several speakers and initiatives that have been added recently.

"We want to give our student-athletes and our staff the best experience we can and help them grow as individuals in all aspects of life," said Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr. "We have been fortunate to have some great speakers come here and share their stories and their ideas and we will always explore ways to better educate our student-athletes and staff."

The latest is Mental Health Mondays that will take place inside Calihan Hall in the Titan Club. It was created as a place for student-athletes to relax, regroup, de-stress and even get a little nap in during the daily grind of classes and competition. Workshops and life skills lessons will also be added. 

The new program worked so well this past Monday that it will be extended to other days during the week.

"Mental Health Mondays was organized as a concentrated way to focus on our most important organ, our brain," said Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services Holly Kerstner. "We want to provide stimulating conversation, a space for relaxation and meditation and allow for training and workshops to help us learn more about ourselves and how to manage the ups and downs of daily life.  We will share a quote, a reminder, a daily positive message or an article on Mondays to set the tone for the week.  Every opportunity builds off of the last and if we do not take an active approach, the semester will slip by without having provided the support necessary to make this an amazing college experience."

On Feb. 21, the Titan student-athletes got a chance to listen to country music star Garth Brooks and Detroit Lions head football coach Matt Patricia as part of Brooks' "Stay in the game" campaign. Both individuals talked about their time and what they endured to get to where they are, social media and about the values and lessons they have learned the most on their life. 

Just a few weeks earlier, the student-athletes and coaches were treated to a discussion with representatives from Farm Bureau Insurance. The presenters - former collegiate athletes - discussed the steps needed to be successful in the future, share what employers are looking for in the workforce and specifically what Farm Bureau Insurance is looking for in internships and entry-level positions.

In the future weeks, the Titans will have speakers on Title IX Consent and Sexual Assault Prevention Training as well as from Paxton Baker, an entrepreneur and philanthropist and a minority owner of the Washington Nationals.