Mental Health Resources

Big League Mental Health for White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) Players

No one is immune from any psychological, emotional issues - including athletes. The White Sox wanted to do more for the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) players and are proud to offer mental health programming to the team the organization supports.

Gratitude is a feeling of happiness that results from focusing on the good things that occur in your life. People who express gratitude generally tend to experience more joy and less sadness. By focusing more of the positives in your life, your social, emotional, and overall mental health can improve over time.

Steps to improve your gratitude:

1. Let others in your life know how grateful and appreciative you are of them.
2. Keep a journal and write down a couple of things per day for which you are grateful.
3. Write a letter to a friend or family member sharing how you appreciate that person.

Attitude is a choice and relates to your mindset and outlook. It helps you define how you look at situations or people, and it can be positive, negative, or neutral. The choice you make will determine the mood and behavior you express. Having a positive attitude can enhance your overall mental health.

Steps to improve your attitude:

1. Be aware of your thoughts and the way you view situations.
2. If you notice negativity toward something, shift your focus to something positive about the person or situation.
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
4. Change negative thought patterns into positive ones. For example, change “I am a bad athlete” into “It was just not my night.”

Mindfulness is paying attention to the moment. It is being present without judging or interpreting. Mindfulness helps relax the body and mind, while reducing stress.

How to practice mindfulness:

1. Relax, close your eyes, breathe, attend to your breath. If you get distracted, bring your attention back to your breath.
2. Use your five senses to see, smell, touch, hear and taste what you’re currently experiencing to keep you in the present moment.
3. Focus on breathing and the movement of your body as you inhale and exhale.

Empathy is understanding how other people feel and showing compassion toward them. It asks, “why do people feel the way they do and what can I do to help?” Practicing being empathic strengthens your ability to handle difficult situations yourself.

How to practice empathy:

1. Talk to someone new and ask them how they are doing. But really mean it when you ask.
2. Talk to someone with your phone in your pocket so you will be fully attentive to the person who is speaking.
3. Try “walking” in someone else’s shoes. Think about what others might be going through before judging their behavior.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Fishbein, White Sox Team Psychologist

Dr. Jeffrey Fishbein is in his 13th season as the White Sox team psychologist. He has been a nationally recognized name in the fields of sport/performance and clinical psychology for more than 25 years as the founder of both Dr. Jeffrey A. Fishbein & Associates and Fishbein & Associates Performance Consulting. With a multi-specialty practice designed for athletes to improve their overall mental fitness, Dr. Fishbein helps individuals from across the country, ranging from middle/high school athletes to world-class professionals in a variety of sports. Prior to his role with the White Sox, Dr. Fishbein served as a team psychologist for the Miami Marlins, Montreal Expos and Northwestern University Athletics. A 1990 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a degree in psychology, Fishbein also received his master’s and doctorate in counseling and clinical psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. He resides in Deerfield, Ill.

MLB is helping to increase mental health awareness and support by partnering with Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7, confidential text-based mental health service.

If you are experiencing feelings of loneliness, sadness or just being overwhelmed, you are not alone. You can text MLB to 741741 to reach a volunteer Crisis Counselor at Crisis Text Line, or you can connect via web chat at crisistextline.org.

NAMI Chicago

• Promotes community wellness, breaks down barriers to mental health care and provides support to families, professionals and individuals.

Howard Brown Health

• Offers counseling and support to the LGBTQ+ community.

Pilsen Wellness Center

• Provides holistic human services to individuals and families through culturally sensitive education, prevention, treatment and recovery interventions.

Association House of Chicago

• Serves community by providing comprehensive, collaborative programs in English and Spanish.

Hope for the Day (H.F.T.D.)

• Empowers the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education.

The Road Home Program (RUSH)

• Dedicated to the mental health and wellness of veterans, service members , members of National Guard, reservists and families at no cost and regardless of discharge status.

Heartland Alliance

• Works to advance human rights and champion human dignity by providing services and solutions to achieve a more just global society.