Lyle Ssengonzi

I’ve been holding this back for a while now but it’s time for my story to be out there. Back in February I was going through a mental health crisis. I talked to my family and football coaches and decided that I needed to take a medical withdrawal from school, go back home and get the treatment that I very much needed. Once I got home I started seeing a therapist right away and was put on antidepressants. My coach told me I had two weeks to decide if I would like to return to the university in the fall semester. After two weeks passed I told him that I was starting to get on a better/ healthier path and would be good to return. Unfortunately he told me that they would not be taking me back. So I started trying to appeal and get into the transfer portal. The NCAA asked me for countless doctors notes and therapist letters from me and many statements. I gave them everything that they asked for in a timely manner. After going back and forth for roughly 4 months I was informed that I was denied entry into the portal due to “They did not believe the case and documentation warranted relief of the Transfer Portal legislation.” This entire experience has been extremely difficult because college athletics constantly encourage student-athletes to prioritise their mental health and seek help when they need it. That is exactly what I did. I chose to speak up instead of suffering in silence. I chose to get treatment. I chose to put my mental health first. I am sharing my story because I know that I am not the only student athlete out there that has faced these struggles, and I hope that by speaking out more attention can be brought to the reality that mental health support should come with a sense of understanding, not punishment. Getting the help that I needed should never have resulted in this. Thank you, Conway Bradshaw