The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
01.11.2018 | Women's Basketball, Longhorn Foundation
Gift will establish Cecil Reynolds and Julia Hickman Center for Student-Athlete Brain & Behavioral Health.
What started as a love for Texas Women's Basketball has grown into a dedication that will elevate wellness and healthcare for all student-athletes at The University of Texas.
Julia Hickman and Cecil Reynolds, longtime women's basketball season ticket holders and Longhorn Foundation donors, have combined their life works with their passion. Both mental health professionals who have taught at the collegiate level, Hickman and Reynolds are committing $20 million to Texas Athletics. The future gift will establish the Cecil Reynolds and Julia Hickman Center for Student-Athlete Brain & Behavioral Health.
"We want them to be prepared for when they leave the university. When they finish their eligibility, we want them to be prepared, not just academically but emotionally and behaviorally. That will take them a long way in life," Reynolds said.
The center will provide administrative oversight, structure and support to implement an integrated, athlete-centered model of student-athlete mental/behavioral health services that emphasizes education, prevention, assessment, treatment and self-care for current and future Texas student-athletes. Additionally, the center will work to integrate clinical services and prioritize participation in research initiatives that focus on athlete brain and behavioral health interventions and outcomes.
Three decades ago, Hickman attended a women's basketball fantasy camp organized by then head coach Jody Conradt. Female campers had the opportunity to learn the game, compete and also interact with coaches and student-athletes.
"I was totally hooked. It was the most fun I'd ever had in my whole life," Hickman said. "I started buying season tickets, and I sort of dragged Cecil, my son (Christopher) and my mom to basketball games. Cecil fell in love with it too."
Hickman is recognizable among team supporters by her handmade "Believe" sign. She says she makes a new one every year, complete with signatures from team supporters all across the country, and it's a signal to the Longhorns that they are supported in every circumstance.
The same thought process initiated the idea for the mental health center.
"Both of us being in the mental health field, we've gravitated to brain and behavioral health, and we observe that student-athletes have the same mental health issues. It's compounded because of the stress dumped on them," Reynolds said. "It's a whole different level of stress, because of the schedules, expectations and demands."
As the center comes to fruition, Texas Athletics' multidisciplinary medical team – consisting of physicians, athletic trainers, dieticians, clinical social workers and clinical behavioral health consultants – will provide evidence-based assessment and treatment. Additionally, Texas Athletics will partner with Dell Medical School's Department of Psychiatry, the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences and others to implement behavioral health best practices for disorder including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, substance use and abuse, disordered eating and bipolar disorder, as well as symptoms associated with sports-related concussion.
"Julia and Cecil realize the complexities that face the student-athlete population. Nothing can be more transformative than the giving of one's own resources for the benefit of others, and this gift connects them in so many ways to future generations of Longhorns student-athletes," said Women's Athletics Director Chris Plonsky. "Behavioral and mental health allows our student-athletes to perform at their upmost – athletically, academically and socially."
The Cecil Reynolds and Julia Hickman Endowed Professor of Brain & Behavioral Health, housed in and in collaboration with Dell Medical School, will direct research endeavors related to student-athlete brain and behavioral health. The incumbent will report within the Dell Medical School organizational structure with an allocation of time dedicated to service and support to Texas Athletics.
"I'm so impressed with Julia and Cecil and their vision to care for student-athletes," said UT Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. "We continue to learn that having a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. This generous commitment will help our student-athletes for generations to come."
Other partners in this multi-disciplinary collaboration will include the UT Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, UT Institute for Neuroscience, UT College of Natural Sciences, UT Hicks School of Social Work, UT Cockrell School of Engineering and St. David's HealthCare, among others.
"We want to make it an expectation to ask for help. It should be no different than treating a sprained ankle," Reynolds said. "If you're having an issue that's emotional or behavorial, the expectation should be that you step forward and do something about it."
The service delivery model for the proposed Texas Athletics Institute for Student-Athlete Health & Wellness establishes five interdisciplinary centers that will house the Sports Medicine, Behavioral Health, Performance Nutrition and Applied Sports Science service lines, providing best-in-class service, support and resources to promote student-athlete performance, health and wellness, as well as contribute to research in these critical areas.
A center will be established for each service line that will prioritize the provision of evidence-based integrative clinical services as well as collaboration with on-campus and community-based partners to participate in research and study clinical outcomes.
"The ability for Texas Athletics' multi-disciplinary medical team to partner with Dell Medical School's department of psychiatry in establishing this center will allow us to provide evidence-based brain and behavioral healthcare that is unparalleled in college athletics," said Allen Hardin, Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine and Performance.
Hickman and Reynolds had previously endowed a postgraduate scholarship for female student-athletes who exhaust their athletics eligibility, and have now committed the largest one-time gift in Texas Athletics history.
"We don't have a huge family. Chris is our only child. We wanted to give back in a way that was meaningful," Hickman said.
