BRONX, N.Y. – As part of wider partnerships with the Atlantic 10 Conference and the Patriot League, Fordham Athletics has begun utilizing The Zone, a cutting-edge mental wellness platform, to help the Rams deal with the mounting stresses of everyday life as a Division I athlete student-athletes.

"I think The Zone is a wonderful tool to help our student-athletes deal with the incredible amounts of pressure and stress they may feel as they progress on their academic and athletic journeys," said Athletic Director Ed Kull.  "I'm thrilled that we can provide our student-athletes with this promising tool as a way to cope with those various challenges."

As part of the aforementioned pilot program with the Atlantic 10 and Patriot League, four Fordham teams have had access to The Zone since the beginning of the spring semester: women's soccer, men's tennis, softball and swimming & diving.

To learn more about The Zone, click here.

In use at more than 160 colleges and universities across the country, The Zone asks its user to begin the day with a simple mood tracking questionnaire.  From there, The Zone seeks to pair the user with the appropriate mental health resources that can be found in the platform's extensive wellness library.  Student-athletes in the midst of a mental health emergency can also be connected with support staff or a mental health hotline all from within the app.

The Zone is the latest in a long line of mental health services provided by the athletic department in service of its student-athletes.  Overseen by Senior Executive Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Welfare & Competitive Excellence/SWA Makini Thompson, the Rams' efforts on the mental wellness front include access to sports psychologists, mental performances coaches and university counselors specializing in the challenges faced by student-athletes.