In mid-March, operations around McKale Center came to a halt. Seasons were canceled, classes were moved from in-person to online and student-athletes were encouraged to leave campus and return to their hometowns in the face of a global pandemic.
 
In the next six months, every Arizona Athletics employee answered the call-to-action, navigating uncertain times to do whatever necessary to serve the student-athletes and prepare for a safe and healthy return to campus and, eventually, competition.
 
There was the immediate challenge of continuing to support student-athletes, keeping them healthy and doing everything possible to continue to provide the support they would be receiving if they were still on campus.   
 
Simultaneously, an incredibly detailed re-entry plan had to be built. The challenge: returning 500 student-athletes to campus and re-integrating them into training and practice regimens while taking every precaution possible to make sure every student-athlete and coach was as safe as possible.
 
The re-entry planning process was thorough, organized into three phases, with specific operational domains coordinated with each phase. The plan was built, and the re-entry process was initialized.
 
Many areas in the athletic department have gone well above and beyond their normal job duties in the last six months. Many individuals and departments have overcome unprecedented levels of adversity and moved forward admirably in uncertain times. In this Powering the Return series, we will highlight the work of five departments that have been some of the most influential to our re-entry process; five departments that have gone well above the call of duty.
 
I. Strength Coaches & Nutrition
II. Medical Trainers (Oct. 20)
III. Mental Health (Oct. 27)
IV. Facilities (Nov. 2)
V. C.A.T.S. Academics (Nov. 9)
 
 

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe back in March, it impacted the lives of billions of people in many ways. Almost everyone had their day-to-day routine altered in some way, whether its social distancing at work – or working from home – or wearing a mask any time you leave your house.
 
All of those are physical changes to routines can also have a big impact on a person's mental well-being. And for student-athletes across the country, the mental strain is no different. Many had their 2019-20 athletic season cut short as a result of the pandemic and many more have seen their fall 2020 seasons delayed by a semester.
 
When you commit so many hours each week to a sport that you love, and then have it suddenly taken away, its only human for doubts to start creeping into your mind – 'What if I'm not able to play next year?' or 'What if this doesn't get better and I never get to play college sports again?'
 
At the University of Arizona, that's where Rachel Webb and Michelle Skog enter the picture. Both are full-time employees that serve as mental health counselors within the Athletic Department. Prior to the pandemic, they were valuable assets to the teams and student-athletes in the department, meeting in-person with staff and student-athletes regularly to offer help and guidance as much as possible.
 
But once the pandemic hit in March, and all classes moved to online classes for the remainder of the Spring and Summer semesters, Webb and Skog saw requests for their services continue to increase.
 

"Across the board," Webb said, "Everything is tele-health, which provides certain barriers to connecting with your clients and doing the harder work when it comes to being a clinician. There are some positives to it, but it definitely provides some barriers.
 
"Michelle and I have the privilege of being connected to a lot of folks throughout the athletic department, there are a lot of phone calls, emails and setting up meetings. So it's not as easy a just popping into someone's office to collaborate – because the department is so collaborative in nature – that has been a challenge and shifted to our day-to-day work, scheduling time with everyone to have those conversations."
 
While working through those new challenges, Webb and Skog have continued to constantly offer their expertise to all 21 varsity sports in a time when all 21 may have needed it most. And they came to realize that if one team was dealing with a certain mental health issue, that chances were good that another team was going to be encountering the same thing. So although they were in regular contact with each other, they ramped up that communication to improve efficiency in being able to assist each team.
 
"For me, the biggest professional changes that I have noticed have been continuing to support each other in the best way possible," Skog said. "We have both taken turns helping each other through some challenging weeks and offering advice to each other to help us manage our time in a positive way."
 
That communication would be key as they were included on various re-entry teams and committees to assist with how to safely have the student-athletes return to campus and start working out and practicing again.
 
"Because we are so intertwined with so many people in the athletic department from student-athletes to coaches to staff and administrators," Webb said, "I think it gives us the unique position to try to help out in understanding how things are truly playing out and how the various policies and procedures are actually playing out on the ground."
 
Although they have seen their days continue to be filled with Zoom meetings and virtual appointments with student-athletes who need their professional help, Webb and Skog both get big smiles on their face when they talk about that feeling when they are able to help a student-athlete overcome what was troubling them.
 

"When the student-athletes get it, that just makes my day," Skog said. "When we have been working with them for a while or even if we have only been working with them for a short time, when something clicks for them and they get it, that is so rewarding. When that happens, it lights up my day. I can go through the rest of my day riding that emotional high. And then when I hear it from the coaches and staff that they are doing so much better when they are around them, it really completes the process for me."
 
"When a student-athlete gets to a place where they have acceptance of themselves…that is the most rewarding place," Webb said. "Our job is to work ourselves out of a job. When you are no longer needed, you have done well on behalf of the client."
 
And while Webb and Skog have been there for each other over the last seven months, Webb says the support they have felt from those around them at UA is what has truly helped fuel their return to work.
 
"The people that we work with at the University of Arizona have absolutely gotten us through these last seven months. There's no doubt about that. The level of sarcasm, healthy discussion and banter along with unconditional support from so many people in the department has shown up in different ways. Everyone is always willing to listen and give you words of encouragement to help you get through those tough days and that means a lot to both Michelle and I."