Athlete meditation boost
Wisconsin Athletics is treating meditation as ‘strength and conditioning for the mind,’ using breath-focused and body-scan practices to reduce stress and build resilience for competitors. Sports programs are increasingly formalizing mindfulness as part of performance work. (wpr.org) (counselheal.com)
Chad McGehee was hired as Wisconsin Athletics’ Director of Meditation Training in 2020, making him the first person to hold that title in a major college sports program. (wpr.org)) UW’s staff directory lists McGehee as Director of Meditation Training, and he is co‑founder of Inner Edge Meditation and an honorary affiliate of the Center for Healthy Minds. (uwbadgers.com)) The Center for Healthy Minds reports McGehee has designed meditation curricula that have been deployed across multiple Badger teams as part of a departmentwide emphasis on student‑athlete wellness. (centerhealthyminds.org)) Local reporting documents that Wisconsin volleyball used the sessions during its 2022 NCAA tournament run, and recent coverage notes McGehee has worked directly with the men’s hockey program this semester. (jsonline.com)) McGehee and UW performance staff have discussed applying the training to attention control, readiness to train, and reducing injury risk in athlete populations on recent podcasts and in university performance‑lab projects. (podscan.fm)) The NCAA has produced a five‑session mindfulness curriculum aimed at student‑athletes, and a 2024 meta‑analysis of randomized and controlled studies reported measurable performance benefits from mindfulness interventions in athletes. (ncaa.org)) Mainstream coverage and a Forbes feature on March 19, 2026 catalogued a growing roster of mental‑skills and performance specialists across the NBA and other major leagues, mirroring the institutional moves seen at Wisconsin. (forbes.com))
