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University of Massachusets Athletics
Team Behind the Team: Dr. Nicole Gabana
September 15, 2020 | Women's Basketball
Gabana joined UMass Athletics in May 2020 as Director of Sport Psychology
Team Behind the Team is presented by UMassFive
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball continues its Q&A series, Team Behind the Team, featuring several key members of the support staff and their roles with the Minutewomen.
Next up is one of the newest additions to the UMass Athletics community, Dr. Nicole Gabana. Dr. Gabana serves the department as Director of Sport Psychology.
Name: Dr. Nicole Gabana
Position: Director of Sport Psychology
At UMass Since: May 2020
Hometown: East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
What does a normal day look like for you around UMass and with the women's basketball program?
"My primary responsibility is to provide sport psychology services to our student-athlete population. That includes general mental health counseling and mental performance consultation. I provide a confidential resource for student-athletes to talk about anything from balancing school and athletics to relationships, performance concerns, or if they're feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Obviously with COVID-19, our student-athletes are dealing with a lot of uncertainty. There's a range of issues that may come up during this time, such as anxiety about the future, trying to maintain motivation to train, health and safety concerns, and coping with the mental and emotional stress of racial injustice and trauma. There are also general performance topics such as goal-setting, performing under pressure, and focus. You could step up to the free throw line and experience more anxiety in a game situation than in practice. Managing your emotions in high pressure situations would be an example of mental skills training."
What have you enjoyed about being around UMass?
"It's been a very interesting time to start a new job! I haven't met many people in person yet, but I've been very excited to get back on campus to work with the student-athletes, coaches and teams. It's been such a pleasure to get to know everyone virtually at first, and it'll be even better once I can meet everyone in person. It's been a privilege to talk with teams about how they're coping during this time, how they're supporting each other, how the coaches are supporting the teams in managing all this uncertainty. I've been so impressed by the resiliency of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. I can definitely tell it's a special place to be."
How's it been settling into Amherst and the Pioneer Valley?
"Considering the circumstances, it's been great. I think it helped moving in the summertime because the weather has been beautiful. It's a good time to explore the area, the various hikes and trails, to be able to meet new people and enjoy outdoor activities. Everyone in athletics has been so supportive and welcoming, so I am very grateful for that, especially during this time."
How crucial is mental health in success on and off the basketball court?
"That's a really important question. Traditionally, I think we've separated mental health from physical health. But mental health is part of physical health. Our brain is part of our body. We know there's a connection between our brain and our body. What we do physically can impact things like our mood, our energy, our focus and concentration, and what's happening in our head. If we're worrying about something, or if something's going on in our personal life, these things can also have an impact on our performance within our team and sport. There's such a connection between those two things and it hasn't always been a primary area of focus. But I think our culture is changing."
How has that culture around mental health changed?
"People are understanding how important that connection is and prioritizing the holistic health of our student-athletes, and their well-being as they're balancing all the demands of being a student-athlete. We make outreach a priority so that we're talking about mental health and showing that it's not a taboo subject. The coaching staffs I've worked with at UMass have been supportive and vocal about advocating for mental health services and communicating the resources to their student-athletes. Particularly in women's basketball, the coaching staff has done that and it's clear they care about their team mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. It's an honor to be part of a culture like that."
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
"I really love being outside. I love sports, so if there's an opportunity to play something, go running, go to the driving range, just something active. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends when possible during this time. I also love reading, painting, and music. Recently I've taken up cooking and trying to improve my skills there. Just a little bit of everything!"
What is something the average person wouldn't know about you?
"I love to scuba dive. I was fortunate enough to dive the Great Barrier Reef in college when I studied abroad for a year. That was an amazing experience."
Follow UMass women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UMassWBB) for the latest news and updates around the team.
Previous "Team Behind the Team" Profiles
August 26 – Administrative Assistant Katie Lenois
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball continues its Q&A series, Team Behind the Team, featuring several key members of the support staff and their roles with the Minutewomen.
Next up is one of the newest additions to the UMass Athletics community, Dr. Nicole Gabana. Dr. Gabana serves the department as Director of Sport Psychology.
Name: Dr. Nicole Gabana
Position: Director of Sport Psychology
At UMass Since: May 2020
Hometown: East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
What does a normal day look like for you around UMass and with the women's basketball program?
"My primary responsibility is to provide sport psychology services to our student-athlete population. That includes general mental health counseling and mental performance consultation. I provide a confidential resource for student-athletes to talk about anything from balancing school and athletics to relationships, performance concerns, or if they're feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Obviously with COVID-19, our student-athletes are dealing with a lot of uncertainty. There's a range of issues that may come up during this time, such as anxiety about the future, trying to maintain motivation to train, health and safety concerns, and coping with the mental and emotional stress of racial injustice and trauma. There are also general performance topics such as goal-setting, performing under pressure, and focus. You could step up to the free throw line and experience more anxiety in a game situation than in practice. Managing your emotions in high pressure situations would be an example of mental skills training."
What have you enjoyed about being around UMass?
"It's been a very interesting time to start a new job! I haven't met many people in person yet, but I've been very excited to get back on campus to work with the student-athletes, coaches and teams. It's been such a pleasure to get to know everyone virtually at first, and it'll be even better once I can meet everyone in person. It's been a privilege to talk with teams about how they're coping during this time, how they're supporting each other, how the coaches are supporting the teams in managing all this uncertainty. I've been so impressed by the resiliency of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. I can definitely tell it's a special place to be."
How's it been settling into Amherst and the Pioneer Valley?
"Considering the circumstances, it's been great. I think it helped moving in the summertime because the weather has been beautiful. It's a good time to explore the area, the various hikes and trails, to be able to meet new people and enjoy outdoor activities. Everyone in athletics has been so supportive and welcoming, so I am very grateful for that, especially during this time."
How crucial is mental health in success on and off the basketball court?
"That's a really important question. Traditionally, I think we've separated mental health from physical health. But mental health is part of physical health. Our brain is part of our body. We know there's a connection between our brain and our body. What we do physically can impact things like our mood, our energy, our focus and concentration, and what's happening in our head. If we're worrying about something, or if something's going on in our personal life, these things can also have an impact on our performance within our team and sport. There's such a connection between those two things and it hasn't always been a primary area of focus. But I think our culture is changing."
How has that culture around mental health changed?
"People are understanding how important that connection is and prioritizing the holistic health of our student-athletes, and their well-being as they're balancing all the demands of being a student-athlete. We make outreach a priority so that we're talking about mental health and showing that it's not a taboo subject. The coaching staffs I've worked with at UMass have been supportive and vocal about advocating for mental health services and communicating the resources to their student-athletes. Particularly in women's basketball, the coaching staff has done that and it's clear they care about their team mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. It's an honor to be part of a culture like that."
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
"I really love being outside. I love sports, so if there's an opportunity to play something, go running, go to the driving range, just something active. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends when possible during this time. I also love reading, painting, and music. Recently I've taken up cooking and trying to improve my skills there. Just a little bit of everything!"
What is something the average person wouldn't know about you?
"I love to scuba dive. I was fortunate enough to dive the Great Barrier Reef in college when I studied abroad for a year. That was an amazing experience."
Follow UMass women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UMassWBB) for the latest news and updates around the team.
Previous "Team Behind the Team" Profiles
August 26 – Administrative Assistant Katie Lenois
UMass WBB | Post Game Press Conference vs Buffalo | 03.07.26
Saturday, March 07
UMass WBB | Broadcast Highlights vs Buffalo | 03.07.26
Saturday, March 07
UMass WBB | Post Game Press Conference vs Kent State | 02.25.26
Wednesday, February 25
UMass WBB | Broadcast Highlights vs Kent State | 02.25.26
Wednesday, February 25