Psychologist and Director of Student-Athlete Wellness Dr. John Harshbarger earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology from the UC Davis before receiving his doctorate in counseling psychology from The Ohio State University. An accomplished athlete himself, Dr. Harshbarger is entering his 21st year of being a staff psychologist at Oberlin College and is currently in his first year as the director of student-athlete wellness.

Sports — originally created as an avenue for war preparation or training as a hunter — have evolved into a complex, layered cultural phenomenon that influences perceptions athletes have of themselves. No longer do humans use sport as a way to protect themselves from long winters or to learn the best way to throw a spear. Now, they are a reflection of personal strength; a way to showcase physical talent in a competitive setting. 

However, sports have never just been physical. Even in the days of spear throwing and war preparation, there was always a mental fortitude deeply rooted in every action. Mental challenges have continued to grow as sports become more demanding and athletes expect more out of themselves. 

I am currently in my third year as a pitcher on the baseball team. Every time I step over the foul line and walk up to the mound, I aim to compete with one person: myself. For many athletes, the battle with oneself can prove to be a much more difficult challenge than competing directly with your opponent.

When I heard that Oberlin — in a collaboration between Counseling and Psychological Services and Athletics — named Harshbarger as the psychologist and director of student-athlete wellness, I was instantly eager to meet with him. I wanted to uncover how he aims to help athletes become their best selves, while also discovering how he guides athletes to combat the mental challenges they are consistently expected to handle.

To begin, I wanted to learn about Harshbarger’s personal relationship and experience with athletics. 

An avid athlete himself growing up in southern California,  Harshbarger was a two-year member of the men’s volleyball team at UC Davis. However, being a Division I athlete may not be his crowning collegiate athletic achievement. 

“I was a cyclist,” Harshbarger told me. “When I was in Davis, I did about 50 miles a day.” 

He went on to tell me it was 50 miles on flat roads, so his approximate 350 miles per week on average wasn’t that impressive, as there was no uphill. 

Beyond his advanced biking endeavors, Harshbarger was a math major in his first year at UC Davis, before moving to environmental policy and analysis for his second and third years, before finally making the switch to psychology in his fourth year. 

“At first, I was really interested in social psychology and how we behave as a community and why we do the things we do,” Harshbarger said. “But, I recognized that I really wanted to serve others.”

Harshbarger recalled to me an affirming experience he had with his college’s counseling center. Since his interest in psychology had materialized slowly during his four years, it had only just begun to make itself clear during his senior year.

“I was really confused [about] what I [was] going to do with my life,” Harshbarger said. “I met with a really cool therapist [at UC Davis], and that solidified for me what I wanted to do.”

Harshbarger grew up in a household that valued being independent and encouraged solving problems on your own. Seeing a therapist on campus challenged previous familial notions and proved to be daunting, yet very beneficial in the long haul.

For student-athletes at Oberlin, Harshbarger understands that it may be difficult to take the first step and overcome the negative stigma that can be associated with therapy, as he was in a similar situation himself as a college student.

“I get why it might be difficult,” Harshbarger said. “What I would say is try it once. Come in and see if there’s any positive benefit for you. And if you feel like there’s not, that’s okay. My approach isn’t to diagnose. Sometimes it can be intimidating thinking, ‘What’s he going to do? Is he going to analyze me?’ And my answer is no. I’m here to help. I’m going to really get to know the student better, and I’m going to try my best to help them achieve whatever goal they have.”

I met Harshbarger in his office, Shanks Health and Wellness Center H110. In my third year at Oberlin, I had never once heard of Shanks. Harshbarger clarified it was located right next to the pool on the first floor of the athletics building. 

Upon walking in, Harshbarger greeted me with a large smile and firm handshake. His office was quaint and quiet, with his desk on the left and a small two-seater couch on the right. His Ohio State diploma was visible but not lorded over me; his credibility was known in an encouraging manner. It made for an inviting space to converse. 

The creation of Harshbarger’s new position was next in a line of moves the College is making to increase support for student-athletes on campus. This year, Stevenson Dining Hall changed their hours, increasing the timeslot for dinner from 8 p.m. last year to 8:30 p.m., in an effort to make dinner more accessible for student-athletes whose practices typically run until 7 p.m. 

“[Athletes’ schedules were] the primary driver of extending hours for dinner service at Stevenson,” AVI’s District Manager Joe Jacobs wrote to the Review. 

“We have been looking at how we can get more services to be accessible to our student-athletes,” Harshbarger told me. “We recognize how busy student-athletes are, and having a [sports psychologist] we have felt [is] going to be really important for [student-athletes] to have access [to].”

Harshbarger believes it’s important for student-athletes to remember exactly that: they are a student as well as an athlete. Neither one defines the other. 

“It’s so important for our student-athletes to understand that it’s okay to have balance in one’s life,” Harshbarger said. “Being a student-athlete is an important part of one’s identity. I get that, but it’s only a part of your identity. I think sometimes it’s been so emphasized in some of our student athletes’ lives: you’re a tennis player, you’re a baseball player, you’re a basketball player, and how important that is. But I think sometimes it becomes overwhelming for our student-athletes, and it’s okay at times to say, ‘Okay, yes, I’m an athlete. I’m also a student. I also need time for my social life. I need time to goof off. I need time for rest and sleep.’”

For others who may be hesitant to stop by Shanks H110, the mental challenges in athletics often mirror obstacles student-athletes incur in their daily lives, whether it be socially or in the classroom. Meetings are never just about an athlete’s sport. 

“I do feel like the mental skills that are required to be a successful athlete are the same mental skills required to be happy and successful in life,” Harshbarger said. “I really encourage student-athletes to think about setting challenging, realistic goals. Is that also true in terms of looking at one’s life? Absolutely. Working toward having a positive attitude about oneself and one’s abilities, and really building up one’s sense of self-advocacy in working toward being a more successful athlete, it’s also going to help you in your life, and vice versa.”

As our conversation wrapped up, I asked Harshbarger if he could offer any lasting words to the athletic student body as a whole. 

“I see that many of our athletes’ sports are just filled with anxiety and expectation of self. I really believe that sometimes what’s lost is the sense of enjoyment and just having fun,” Harshbarger said in response. “I work with some of our student athletes who feel like the fun has been lost. Sport was generated as recreation, it was generated to be fun. And so yes, compete, but hopefully competing is fun for you. Yes, get better, but hopefully there’s some sense of enjoyment in that. If you’re losing your joy, then let’s take a look at how you find that joy again.”

This past weekend, Harshbarger found himself at Oberlin men’s soccer conference opener at John Carroll University. Although to his estimation, there were only six people cheering on the Crimson and Gold, it didn’t stop him from proudly being one of them.

“I felt such a strong need to scream and yell and let the [players] know that there are people here rooting for you,” Harshbarger said. “They played such a great game. I do feel like a part of my role is to let the whole college community know that our student athletes are out there really working hard and having fun.”

To this point, Harshbarger has met with over 40 athletes. One line that he mentioned to me and many of his athletes stuck with me for the remainder of the day: a quintessential quote to emphasize his philosophy about sport and life.

“Find your fun, and success will follow,” Harshbarger told me.

After our conversation, I can’t help but believe him.