CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.  – The Austin Peay State University Athletics Department and Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison announced the hiring of Teresa Prendes-Walls as Director of Sport Psychology, Tuesday.
Prendes-Walls brings more than 20 years of experience as a mental health counselor to the Govs. She will oversee all mental health care services for Austin Peay's student-athletes.
"Ecstatic and excited to welcome Teresa to the athletics family as our first-ever full-time director in the area of behavioral, mental health, and sports psychology," said Harrison. "She has worked with our student-athletes in the past and in a short time has demonstrated a strong commitment to our Total Gov Concept!"
Prendes-Walls has been working for Austin Peay's Health and Counseling Center since 2017 as the assistant director of student counseling services. In that role, Prendes-Walls directed the operation of clinical counseling services as part of an integrated health and counseling center. She also implemented a campus-wide "Let's Talk" program to improve access to care.
"I am excited and honored to be invited to APSU's athletic family as the first Director of Sport Psychology. Adding a full-time mental health professional to their athletic staff is an amazing step for APSU," said Prendes-Walls. "It not only shows their commitment to student-athletes overall wellness but also their dedication to being a peak athletic program. On a personal level, I am beyond grateful to be given the opportunity to focus on the type of work that brings me the most meaning."
She has also spent time with APSU Athletics as a mental health specialist/embedded counselor. Prendes-Well has provided individual counseling, psychoeducational programs, and mental performance training sessions for student-athletes, coaches, and athletics administrators. Prendes-Well has also advised the APSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee leadership team in OVC mental health awareness programming.
"Mental health has become such a huge conversation within athletics and having a resource directly in our athletics department will help so many athletes tremendously,' said Riley Cooper, APSU SAAC President. "She's already been so involved with our teams and I know she's going to be such an asset in ensuring our athletes are making their mental health a priority."
Prior to coming to Austin Peay, Prendes-Walls spent two years at Vanderbilt University, acting as a staff therapist liaison for the athletic department. For the Commodores she implemented a three-session team intervention program addressing athletic-specific concerns related to food, exercise, and/or body dissatisfaction.
Prendes-Walls received her bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Chicago where she played both soccer and softball. She received her Master's and Education Specialist degrees in professional counseling from Seton Hall University. While at Seton Hall University she pursued a Certificate in Sport and Exercise Psychology and is working toward certification as a Mental Performance Consultant through the Associate of Applied Sport Psychology.
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