Ahead of Mental Health Awareness month in May, Inter Miami CF First Team players, Alexander Shaw and David Ruiz joined mental health professionals for the team’s third annual Conversations with Cafecito panel presented by Café Bustelo at Florida International University (FIU).
Moderated by Dr. Kristin A.Nichols, Director of the Professional Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at FIU, the third rendition of Conversations with Cafecito focused on the mental preparation required for young professional athletes to perform at a high level early on in their career, as well as the ways they have coped with the new pressures they have faced after earning the title of 2025 MLS Cup Champions.
When asked what mental health care looks like as a professional athlete on the day to day, Ruiz and Shaw gave the FIU students a glimpse into the rituals that allow them to perform at the highest level.
For First Team midfielder, David Ruiz, “A lot of it is visualization.”
“The day before the game, I like to think and put myself in scenarios that I will be in, that probably make me uncomfortable, make me a little bit nervous of losing possession or losing the ball.”
“I think I always like to be at peace and relaxed,” Ruiz added. “Those are things that really just keep me calm before a game and I think it’s very helpful for me, honestly.”
Others like First Team midfielder, Alex Shaw take a different approach, utilizing the help of professionals to prepare for challenges on and off the field. “Personally, I have a mental coach that I work with two times a week and it’s been a gamechanger for me.”
“We work on so many different types of skills. Mental skills, visualization, affirmation, speaking good things and positive things over yourself. It’s just so helpful and keeps me in a good state going into games, going into environments that are high pressure environments.”
Also in attendance to provide his expertise on the topic was Dr. Jeremy Pettit, psychologist and executive director of FIU's Center for Children and Families. With a specialty in adolescent psychology, Dr. Pettit’s research centers on the development of interventions to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal behaviors, and his clinical work applies these interventions to youth across a variety of areas, including sports.
From a research perspective, Pettit confirmed that research shows mental health isn’t separate from performance, but rather drives it.
“When players are experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety, they’re actually at a greater risk for getting injured, and it lengthens the recovery time following injury,” Pettit said. “I think what we’re seeing is that mental skills and mental preparation isn’t really optional, it’s an essential part of the training plan for high-level athletes.”
At the conclusion of the panel, the floor opened up for FIU students to ask the players questions about their mental health journeys, allowing them to share their own experiences with the panel as well.Â
Students in attendance were also given the opportunity to meet the players after the event, posing for pictures and collecting signatures, all while sipping on Café Bustelo’s staple bold flavors.
