Supporting the Mental Health of Injured Athletes: The Role of Sport Performance Coaches
Injuries in sport are a common hurdle many of the athletes we coach will face, and attendees of this presentation will be exposed to a variety of tools and techniques they can use to engage with injured athletes and support them either throughout the return to play process or through their transition out of sport. These tools and techniques are research based, require minimal training, and can be utilized regardless of available budget or resources. I will draw on my experiences as a former student-athlete, coach, athletic administrator, and researcher to help you expand your knowledge base and skill set so you can be better equipped to support the mental health of your injured athletes.
Mackenzie Wenger holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University where she was a thrower on the women’s Track and Field Team from 2006-2010. Wenger has been certified with the CSCCa since 2013 and began her strength and conditioning career as a graduate assistant at IU following the completion of her eligibility. In 2012, Wenger accepted a position in strength and conditioning at Miami (OH) and was there until 2016 working with a variety of teams including football, field hockey, softball, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field and cross country, and synchronized skating. Upon leaving Miami (OH), Wenger transitioned into athletic academic services and joined the staff at Stephen F. Austin State University in 2016, where she also served as an adjunct instructor teaching courses in the Kinesiology and Health Sciences department. Wenger left SFASU in 2021 to pursue other career opportunities and landed in the faculty ranks at Ball State University where she currently serves as the assistant director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication and coordinates the unit’s Strategic Communication in Sports program and recruitment and retention efforts. Wenger is also pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education with a cognate in Sport and Exercise Psychology where she focuses her research on the mental health of coaches and the impact of careers in coaching on families. Mackenzie is married to Dan Wenger, who is also a member of the sport performance profession and is a member of the CSCCa. They have two children, Sadie (5) and Maverick (2) and currently reside in Muncie, IN.
