Niumatalolo has concerns about players’ mental health

This is a stressful time for all citizens of the United States, Navy football players included.

Since mid-March, the coronavirus pandemic has completely altered life in America. Nationwide lockdowns have caused businesses to close, resulting in massive job losses and producing widespread depression. Normal routines have been disrupted and stay-at-home orders often lead to isolation.

Midshipmen returning to the Naval Academy in July were placed under restriction of movement orders for two weeks, basically confined to dormitory rooms in Bancroft Hall along with one roommate.

Factor in the demands of playing big-time college football to such an environment. It’s clear why Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo is extremely worried about his players’ psychological wellbeing.

“It’s a huge concern. I don’t think any of us realized the depression and anxiety that comes from being isolated,” Niumatalolo said. “One thing that’s become abundantly clear to me as a coach is that being isolated is hard. Our players are stuck in their dorm rooms all the time and I’ve seen the toll that takes on them.”

Even after quarantine, midshipmen have not been allowed to leave the academy campus. They continue to spend considerable time in Bancroft Hall taking online classes, and the camaraderie that normally comes from gathering for meals in King Hall has also been disrupted.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner involve picking up to-go boxes, and by all accounts, the meals leave a lot to be desired. An in-depth article in The Capital quoted midshipmen as saying morale was low and many were concerned about classmates’ mental health moving forward.

Liberty is a precious commodity at the Naval Academy as midshipmen are, for the most part, not allowed to leave the Yard during the week. Getting away on weekends, either going home or to a sponsor’s house, is a breath of fresh air.

“These kids are human. They want to get away from here,” Niumatalolo said. “Normally, you’d go downtown to eat at Iron Rooster or Mission BBQ. Not being able to leave is mentally taxing.”

Navy football has implemented numerous protocols aimed at getting through the season safely. One important element has produced unintended consequences.

Because the locker room is an ideal incubator for the coronavirus, players have been required to change in shifts before and after practice. It must be done quickly as each shift is given 15 minutes to get in and out.

“You don’t get the locker room time anymore and that’s a big deal,” Niumatalolo said. “All the things you would normally do in the locker room, hanging out with your buddies talking about girls or politics, we’re missing that now. We’re having to fabricate that as a staff.”

Niumatalolo has been ending practices after about an hour and a half. The 13th-year coach wants the players to have time to hang out on the field to get the social interaction that would normally take place in the locker room.

“I’m finishing early so the players can sit around and talk. I tell the coaches to stay away, to give the players their space,” Niumatalolo said.

Coronavirus and its impacts are not the only reason for anger, depression and anxiety these days. Systemic racism and social justice issues also upset players, while the contentious political environment can be another negative factor.

“There’s a lot of tough stuff for people to deal with,” Niumatalolo noted.