Athletes are no strangers to pressure.
With the help of student-athletes, the USU Student Wellness Center and the Athletic Department formed SAMS in 1995. The purpose of this program is to support athletes in adjusting to the college environment, developing life skills and setting career goals, according to JoAnn Autry of the Student Wellness Center. All incoming freshman athletes and transfer athletes are required to take MHR 316, the course that initiates participation in the SAMS program. The course begins with a 30-minute lecture on topics such as career planning, relationships, study skills and substance abuse. After the lecture, the class breaks into small discussion groups of six to eight student athletes with one male and one female upperclassman acting as a mentor for each group.