Educational Media Reviews Online

Listen to any athlete, sportscast, or athletic commercial, and the underlying mantra regarding sports seems to be: vulnerability equals weakness. That’s a stigma Chamique Holdsclaw seeks to help dispel with Mind/Game, a film that follows her incredible path from a childhood in the projects in Queens, to the height of basketball stardom and every high and low in between. It’s definitely a rollercoaster ride as we follow Chamique’s journey: from her first hints of athletic greatness in high school sports, to Record-breaking and championship winning highs in college basketball, and to devastating lows, including a suicide attempt and finally culminating in a life-changing diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Publicly acknowledging significant mental illness would be difficult for any public figure or athlete, but for Chamique circumstances ultimately compelled her to take responsibility for the negative consequences of ignoring her illness. She could have chosen to keep her struggle private, but instead Chamique Holdsclaw stands in acceptance of her ongoing challenges, publicly acknowledging a lifelong effort to manage her mental illness. Through public speaking engagements and clinics for aspiring young basketball players, she is able to provide personal evidence of the transformative power of addressing mental illness head-on, and to demonstrate that shame and self blame can be overcome with an openness to vulnerability, coupled with determination and discipline. Mind/Game is highly recommended for collections with a focus on psychology, mental health, and athletics.

Awards

• Voice Award, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Tennessee First, Audience Award Nashville Film Festival