Prevention of issues before they have a negative effect is at the forefront of the formulation of the Bolder Buffaloes Peer Advocacy Program (Bolder Buffs).
Bolder Buffs was created last fall by women’s soccer player Jalen Tompkins and women’s basketball student-athlete Kennedy Leonard. The group was formed to help Colorado student-athletes with their mental health.
Colorado is one of several universities around the country that is making mental health a priority.
The athletics department is aiming to raise $2 million to put towards mental health — using funds for additional staffing, resources and programs designed to assist the student-athletes.
“We want to create one of the best mental health departments inside an athletic department that we can,” athletics director Rick George said. “It’s going to be a major area of focus for us and we’re actively out fund raising to provide some resources so that we can do the things that we need from a mental health perspective.”
The athletic department is also working with the CU campus, as it expands and improves mental health services for all students.
The Bolder Buffs — comprised of nearly 20 student-athletes of both genders and different ethnicities — meet regularly to train each other on how to recognize when their peers are struggling and how to help them.
Their mission statement: “Ensuring that University of Colorado student-athletes’ mental health is put first through education, mentoring, awareness, and programming.”
For more information, visit https://cubuffs.com/sports/2018/10/5/bolder-buffs.aspx.
