Meet The Team

BJ Armstead, MSW, MS

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BJ Armstead is a native of Atlanta, GA. He participated in sports for 18 years and played high school and collegiate baseball. BJ is very passionate about Sports, Mental Health, Mental Performance, and overall Mental Wellness in regard to sport. He is honored to serve student-athletes! He earned his Bachelors of Arts in Spanish from Morehouse College in 2019. In 2020, he became a Certified Life Coach. He earned his Masters in Social Work and Mental Health in the Spring of 2021. In the Winter of 2021 he became Certified in Mental Performance Mastery. He earned his Masters degree in Sport Psychology & Motor Behavior from The University of Tennessee in the Spring of 2022. He is currently earning his Doctoral Degree in Sport & Performance Psychology from the University of Western States and is engaging in extensive research in Motivation of High School Student-Athletes. 

Leighton Chappell, MS

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“Leighton Chappell is sport management professional from Flushing, Michigan. Chappell graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) in 2021 and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) in 2023: earning his Bachelor’s of Science (2021) and Master’s of Science (2023) in Sport Business and Recreation. 

In Martin, Chappell worked in the athletic department and sport business program throughout the entirety of his undergrad. He also served as the Student Trustee for the University of Tennessee System his senior year before graduating with Summa Cum Laude and Who’s Who Honors.

Transitioning to Knoxville as a graduate course instructor for physical education courses, Chappell also volunteered with the Tennessee Fund - the athletic department’s development arm - in fall 2021 in lieu of serving as Programming and Events Chair for the Graduate Student Senate (GSS). In spring of 2022, Chappell was elected by Knoxville graduate students as Vice President for GSS: co-leading advocacy efforts and organizational programs in improving the graduate and professional student experience. 

Eager to positively impact people and sport, Chappell looks to utilize his positive attitude and continuous learnings to help athletes, parents, and sport managers understand, strategize, and achieve their desired goals. Whether an athlete is in need of performance training or a manager seeks grass-root development coordination help, Leighton Chappell enthusiastically awaits to serve.””

Alexis Stonicher, MS

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Alexis Stonicher has lived in many places. Born outside of Philly, she moved to Maryland, Arizona, Tennessee, Georgia, and now she calls Texas home. She played many sports growing up including soccer, lacrosse, badminton, and cheerleading. Alexis went on to cheer at the collegiate level for a year and then transferred to the university of Tennessee where she earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.S in Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior. She has worked with youth athletes, college athletes, and now works with the U.S. Army where she trains the mental aspect of Soldier’s performances. Alexis is now pursuing another Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Liberty University so that she can provide mental health support to athletes as well. She is passionate about providing the best services to her clients and takes a holistic and strengths based approach. Her experience working with a wide variety of populations is what makes her unique as a Mental Performance Consultant. 

Carly Silverstein, MSW

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“Carly Silverstein is a Master in Social Work (MSW) graduate from the University of Michigan with a focus on mental health and performance for student athletes, and additionally is working towards her Certified Mental Performance Consultant Certification (CMPC). While attending Michigan, Carly worked with the Michigan Football recruiting department and with BLND Health, a private practice. Prior to Michigan, Carly attended the University of Georgia where she received her B.S. in Psychology, with minors in Sport Management and Human Development and Family Sciences. Additionally, she interned for the Georgia Football Recruiting Department. Carly is passionate about breaking the stigma and limiting barriers associated with people seeking help. It is incredibly important to her to make a change in breaking the stigma surrounding mental health within athletics and she strives to provide a holistic, integrative, and compassionate perspective when working with athletes on their mental health or mental performance. With both private practice experience and understanding how a power 5 athletic department functions, she brings a unique perspective. Carly believes that you should train your mind just like you train your body, but many people don’t know how. That’s what we’re here for! ”

Michael Grant

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Michael Grant is aResults-oriented professional with 6+ years of experience and proven knowledge of instructional programming, peer counseling, and training and development. Aiming to leverage his skills to successfully work with adolescents and facilitate better mental health within the community, Michael has continued helping others in the greater Atlanta area through personal training and motivational coaching since finishing his Psychology BA at Morehouse College. 

Olivia Nicholas

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Olivia Nicholas is pursuing a master’s degree in social work at the University of Georgia. Prior to entering her master’s program, Olivia attended the University of Tennessee and received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. At Tennessee, she worked with the Lady Volunteer women’s basketball program for 4 years as a student athletic trainer. Olivia has also been an intern with The Army of Survivors which works to end sexual abuse in sports. Olivia is passionate about equality in sports and ending the stigma around mental health in athletics. She hopes to work as a mental health counselor in a collegiate athletic department when she finishes her masters. Olivia is also an avid sports fan and especially loves basketball!
 

Andrew Cole

Debbie Green

Alissa Rose