AMSSM Local Humanitarian Grant Awarded for Sports Medicine Project: G.A.M.E. 

Pictured above are the attending physicians, fellows, residents, and medical students from CU Anschutz who volunteered at the Aurora Public Schools sports physicals event in August 2025, where the project was based. 

Jack Spittler, MD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and CU Anschutz Sports Medicine Fellowship Program Director, along with Sports Medicine Fellow Christian Nicolosi, MD, and CU School of Medicine student Kaylee Blevins, MS4, were awarded an American Medical Society of Sports Medicine (AMSSM) Local Humanitarian Grant for their project, “Guiding Athletes’ Mental Empowerment (G.A.M.E.).” 

Grant funds supported the successful completion of three major project goals. First, the team developed a management plan for Aurora Public Schools student athletes who screened positive for depression or anxiety (PHQ4) on the CHSAA Sports Physicals Form and expanded mental health screening efforts at the Aurora Public Schools sports physicals event in August 2025 (pictured above.) Mental health professionals from Aurora Mental Health and Wellness were onsite to provide one on one counseling and suicide risk assessment for the 21 identified student-athletes.  

Second, grant funds enabled the creation of a pilot “bridge” program that provided uninsured student athletes with access to psychological and psychiatric services at Aurora Mental Health and Wellness—offering nine follow-up appointments at no cost to the students or their families. 

Finally, the project supported the development of mental health resources for Aurora Public Schools student athletes, including training on how to access tools such as the Calm App, which is recognized for helping reduce stress and anxiety. The team also conducted a quality improvement project to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing this mental health pathway for future years. 

Congratulations to Dr. Spittler, Dr. Nicolosi, and Kaylee Blevins (MS4) on the success of the G.A.M.E. project, which has meaningfully supported the mental wellbeing of student athletes in our local Aurora Public Schools student athletes.