Edina High expands athlete mental‑health supports with Premier Sports Psychology

Edina Public Schools trustees heard on April 13 that a second‑year partnership between Edina High School athletics and Premier Sports Psychology is providing mental‑health and sport‑performance services to student athletes, coaches and parents with funding from the Edina Athletic Booster Club and the Ed Fund.

Troy Stein, Edina High assistant principal and athletic director, said the program grew from coach concerns after the COVID years and is intended to ‘‘move from mental‑health awareness to action.’’ He described team sessions, coach consultations and a mindset assessment that yields PDF action steps for athletes and staff.

Dr. Mike Sell, a licensed psychologist with Premier Sports Psychology, told the board the work focuses on common athlete stressors such as perfectionism, burnout and the psychological effects of injury. ‘‘We wanted to provide support for student athletes and to really shift from awareness to action,’’ he said.

Coach Jamie Garde Chapman said the program gives coaches direct access to clinical guidance: ‘‘It’s built in that coaches have two 1‑on‑1 sessions with Dr. Mike Sell, where we have the opportunity to discuss our athletes but also how we prevent burnout with ourselves.’’

Students who have used the service described practical benefits. Kaiza Hao said the program ‘‘has really improved us feeling more confident to speak up when we’re maybe struggling with mental health’’ and that it strengthened team connection. Jabari Strader, a football captain, said meetings with Premier helped him after a traumatic leg injury and ‘‘helped us connect as a team as well as individually.’’

Staff described program features intended to increase accessibility: recording sessions for parent review, discounted individual appointments for families, and an AI‑infused mental‑skills app for between‑session practice. Stein and staff said on‑campus, day‑time individual appointments are an aspirational next step; currently individual care is available at a discounted family rate and the district and partner are exploring ways to expand reach.

Board members praised the work and asked whether injured athletes automatically receive services. Dr. Sell and district staff said individual appointments are not currently offered automatically for every injury but can be arranged; expanding routine access for injured students is part of future planning.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; trustees thanked presenters and moved on to the next agenda item.