NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Players returning to their college programs instead of transferring is not as common as it used to be in this era of athletics.
Monarch senior forward Simone Cunningham, however, is back as one of four returning players for the Old Dominion women's basketball team.
"Being here has really helped me improve my game," Cunningham pointed out. "I've improved my IQ since being here. Me and Coach D (Delisha Milton-Jones) have a great relationship and I think she's one of the best coaches I've ever had."
"When you look at her and the growth she has obtained in the time she's been here, it's been beautiful to witness," Milton-Jones added.
That growth the head coach is referring to stretches far beyond the court. Cunningham transferred to Old Dominion from Shelton State Community College in Alabama and to get a clear picture of how far the senior forward has come, one has to rewind a handful of years to when the lights weren't shining as bright for her as they are now.
"Just with things that I was going through during high school and some issues in my home life, I feel like I started harming myself," she recalled.
The emotional and physical drain followed Cunningham to her arrival in Norfolk, but in Milton-Jones, the player found the ally she needed. The leader of the team was a coach she grew close with and did not want to disappoint.
"I got here and I was still doing it (self-harm) and Coach D, being the great coach that she is, she noticed and she asked me about it and she talked to me about it," remembered Cunningham. "She explained to me how bad it hurt her seeing me do these things to myself."
That's when Cunningham made a big decision. It wasn't whether to pass or shoot or which play to run, but much bigger than that. She decided that she did not want to be sad anymore. Simone sought out therapy, used the school's mental health resources and began keeping a journal. With a little bit of help, she took control of her situation.
"I love the fact that she's willing to tell her story," Milton-Jones said. "She wears her scars to a certain degree, her battle wounds, but the story behind it is the healing process that has taken place."
"I started doing yoga," added Cunningham. "Coach D got me back into drawing, which is something that I loved, but I went away from and I realized that that helps me calm down. It helps me think and I'm really at peace in the moment when I'm doing things like that."
She also started to find more enjoyment in another love the forward said was feeling more like a job while she was struggling mentally- basketball.
"Being here and the environment has changed for me and I think that now I feel as if this is an outlet for me," Cunningham noted. "I enjoy coming to the gym every day and I enjoy seeing my teammates. I enjoy seeing my coaches. I enjoy playing for Old Dominion."
Now the senior spends a good deal of time advocating for student-athlete mental health, using her own story as the backbone of her drive to make an impact. Whether it's giving advice or just listening, she's helping others in the most important game of all- the game of life.
"Not only is she able to impact her life, but she's able to impact so many others, just from being bold and courageous enough to tell her story," Milton-Jones said.
"I don't want anyone to go through that, especially by themselves," added Cunningham. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, so if I can do anything to help you progress in a faster or healthier manner than I did for myself, then I feel like I've done my purpose."
Cunningham started all 32 games for the Monarchs last season, leading the team with 6.9 rebounds per game. She and ODU tip off their season November 4 at Ball State.
For a list of where you can find mental health support and treatment, click here.
