BEYOND
the LIGHTS
Program

Focusing On the Person Inside the Athlete to Improve Both

Improving Student Athletes’ Mental Health On and Off the Field

Beyond The Lights (BTL) is a unique program designed to help coaches, teams, and individual athletes by providing tools to monitor and improve student athletes’ mental health. BTL is one of the first mental training programs for athletes designed with a strong focus on the whole person—we consider the mental health and wellbeing in the athletes’ overall life, instead of singularly focusing on athletic performance.

We describe our program as Balance and Resilience Training (BRT) and employ techniques to normalize common challenges and struggles experienced by competitive student-athletes.

More than 80% of coaches reported spending more time discussing mental health with student-athletes …[and] indicated that the top issue facing the team they coach was supporting student-athlete mental health.

Student-athletes continue to report …elevated rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and feelings of being depressed.

Among the student-athletes in the sample who were considering transferring, respondents identified mental health as an important reason for doing so.

One-third of coaches reported mental exhaustion, feelings of being overwhelmed by all they had to do, and considerable sleep difficulties.

Our goal is to work with the person, not just the athlete, to give them the support and confidence they need to recognize, communicate, and manage mental health struggles that may be experienced during the course of a season and academic year. Through this approach, both the person and the athlete are better positioned for success. A balanced and resilient athlete is someone best suited for the next level, whether that means professional athletics or making a positive impact on the world through their other talents.

Single-Team Workshop (75-90min), $800
Goal: Education & Growth
Single session designed for a specific team and tailored to specific topics or identified issues that the team coach and players want to focus on.

Single Team Check-In (60-75min), $500
Goal: Positive Momentum
Facilitated discussion among a team or specifically selected participants to provide intentional space for reflection to establish, maintain, or increase positive morale.

Coaches’ Workshops (60-120min),$1,000
Goal: Athlete Struggles Prevention /Support
Interactive presentation with coaches to help enable or enhance their ability to proactively prevent, and effectively identify and support, student-athlete mental challenges.

Individual Sessions (45min), $225*
Goal: Prevention & Coping

One-on-one sessions between a therapist and individual student-athletes who may benefit from private sessions to work through challenges specific to their situations.

*Health insurance may be accepted to cover the offset cost

Team Program Packages are also available for both in-season and off-season. Contact us for more information

33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. Among that group, 30% seek help.

“Freshman year of college, especially for those playing a sport, is like walking through an obstacle course wearing a blindfold.”

Kate Fagan, What Made Maddy Run

Mental health is rigidly and fatally misunderstood, especially in college athletics.”

Mikaela Brewer, Guard, Stanford University Women’s Basketball Team

“I was not ready for the adjustment to college. I struggled heavily with balancing schoolwork with lacrosse, and I fell behind very quickly. The stress to do well both in the classroom and on the field contributed as well.”

Connor Remington, Freshman Midfielder, Stevenson University Men’s Lacrosse Team

"When college campuses are willing to have open conversations about the importance of mental health, taking care of yourself mentally can ease the apprehension of student-athletes seeking help."

Scott Hamilton, a Mental Health Clinical Counselor at DePauw

About Lantz

Lantz Kilburn is a big believer in the power of building positive, supportive relationships through therapy. Working with different client populations—specifically with student athletes, having been one himself—has helped him develop an orientation of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with mindfulness. He emphasizes the importance of being forgiving and present within ourselves, with the understanding that our body is most often working to protect us. Lantz graduated from Merrimack College with his MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and before that from Hamilton College with a degree in Neuroscience and Theatre. He was a varsity student-athlete at both institutions and a coach at the former.

  • Martha Whiting, Head Coach, Tufts Women's Soccer

    “Lantz has been working with our women’s soccer team since last summer and has had a tremendous impact on our individual players and our team as a whole. As a former college athlete, Lantz understands the pressure and stresses that come along with college athletics. Our players find him easy to relate to and his workshops relevant. Their feedback after every session is 100% positive. For me, he is so easy to work with in terms of setting up workshops with the team as he is accessible and works with our schedule. I really appreciate that he tailors the sessions to our needs – they are not cookie cutter presentations. I would highly recommend Lantz to any sports team.”

  • Name withheld to protect client privacy

    "My teenage son struggles with sports performance anxiety. We were so lucky to be able to start counseling sessions with Lantz Kilburn, who has first-hand experience as a student-athlete, this past summer prior to the start of high school. Lantz has provided my son with tools to help gain control over his anxiety that have proven helpful not only in sports situations but in general day-to-day life scenarios. After their sessions together my son always left more relaxed, confident and generally happy. Working with Lantz has not only benefited my son athletically but as a whole!"

  • Jen Burke DeMagistris, Owner at Burke’s Tumbling Academy

    “I have had the privilege of working with Lantz Kilburn on a personal level with my son. Within a few sessions I instantly knew that he was great individually but that he would also be a fantastic resource for all our athletes at Burke’s Tumbling Academy. His knowledge and professionalism with sports and the importance of mental health would play a huge role in our teams’ performance in and out of the gym. Lantz was able to get down to each athletes’ level, and really relate to things that they are going through every day giving them tools to help develop positive self-esteem, accomplish growth and success in sports and in life. I personally have witnessed our athletes using these tools while at practice and at competitions. One thing I always promise when talking to parents “I promise I will coach and love your children just like they were my own” Seeing the positive impact Lantz has in my son’s life I knew that he would have this same impact in our students. Burke’s Tumbling Academy family is so fortunate to have Lantz as a resource for our teams and recommend him highly to all student athletes!”

  • Olivia Downey, Assistant Coach, Melrose High School Varsity Girls Soccer Team

    "Lantz worked with our team in two workshops, the first a few weeks into our regular season, and the second once we entered the postseason and prepared for the state tournament. During both sessions, he was able to connect with the team by providing coping methods, mindfulness strategies, and meaningful feedback. When facilitating these workshops, Lantz listened attentively, reframed effectively, and included all players. Furthermore, he pushed players' thinking, challenging them to dig deeper in their explanations and provide specifics when engaging in discussions with the team. Lantz's overall positive outlook and energy fostered a safe environment where all players felt willing to share and participate. Players named Lantz's workshops as powerful and beneficial, not only to their individual performances, but also to the team's chemistry."

  • Student-Athlete, Tufts Women’s Soccer

    “Lantz had his work cut out for him when he started with our team. Luckily, he invests a ton of time and energy into creating manageable and effective frameworks for the groups he works with. He’s got his finger on the pulse regarding team dynamics and has a great awareness of when to take control, verse let the group dictate how the conversation flows. Lantz allows us to do most of the heavy lifting which keeps everyone engaged and leaves us with sense of ownership of the outcome. His background as a player, captain, and coach provides a level of relatability that puts players at ease. It never feels like a lecture when Lantz speaks to you. He’s you’re confident, wiser older brother, cooler upperclassman.”

  • Christi Kelsey, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach, Sophomore Emerging Leaders Facilitator, Williams College

    “Lantz was a great facilitator in his time with our sophomore emerging leaders program. He not only provided great perspective with his professional knowledge and insight but he also could meaningfully connect with our student athletes given his own experiences as a student, athlete and coach at the college level.

    We asked Lantz to primarily focus our particular session on team building and creating valuable team cultures. The students enjoyed engaging with Lantz in this work and felt that he provided them with some awesome tools and strategies to grow as leaders and better help their teams for the future.”

Athletic Programs We’ve Supported

Colleges

Schools

Clubs