Closing the Athlete Services Gap
Athletes are a unique population
There is a discrepancy between the needs of our student athletes and the access to services and support they deserve. Person Before Player closes the gap by providing detailed action plans and mental wellness toolkits that cultivate resilience.
Powerful Programming
School Year Comprehensive
Athletic Director Consultation
School Year Comprehensive
Our flagship program where we provide seminars to student athletes, parents, and coaches, throughout the school year.
Crash Course for Coaches
Athletic Director Consultation
School Year Comprehensive
Coach specific programming to bring awareness about mental health within the student athlete population.
Athletic Director Consultation
Athletic Director Consultation
Athletic Director Consultation
Partnering with ADs to understand their challenges so they can better integrate mental health tools tailored to their school's needs.
Team Education
Athletic Director Consultation
Athletic Director Consultation
Team specific consultation to increase supportive team dynamics on and off the field.
Focused on Outcomes
Dr. Shreya Hessler
Dr. Shreya Hessler
Dr. Shreya Hessler
Dr. Shreya Hessler, founder of The MINDset Center, specializes in treating anxiety, ADHD, OCD, depression, and behavioral disorders. With 20+ years of experience, she has served as a university faculty member, authored a children’s book on anxiety, and led as the President of the Maryland Psychological Association. Dr. Hessler is passionate about athlete mental health, having developed a wellness program at Towson University and co-founding the Person Before Player Program.
Casey Kutner
Dr. Shreya Hessler
Dr. Shreya Hessler
Casey Kutner, M.A., LCPC, is a psychotherapist at The MINDset Center, former Division I athlete, and co-founder of Person Before Player. She specializes in anxiety, OCD, and performance-related disorders. Casey draws from her sports background and years as a coach to guide her work in sports psychology. Through Person Before Player, Casey helps athletes thrive on and off the field by fostering resilience, mind-body connection, and strengths-based growth.
We ASK
AWARENESS
- Our paths in athletics are NOT linear
- Our athletic careers have an expiration date
- Sports are black and white but life is grey
- 'Go, go, go' mindset leads to burnout
- Wellness & joy are essential to reaching success
SKILLS
- Reflection beats reaction: Curiosity > Judgment.
- Pause to reset: a moment can change everything.
- Focus on what’s in your control to drive effective change.
- Coping looks different in each situation
- Build your toolkit: self-compassion, grounding, connection, regulation, and asking for help.
KNOWLEDGE
- Better labeling of emotions leads to smarter problem-solving
- Stress, worry, and overwhelm are signals, not weaknesses
- Recognizing distress is the first step to resilience