MVP Beyond the Game
Built by an athlete who needed it first.
A student-led 501(c)(3) giving student-athletes practical, self-directed tools for the pressure around competition, school, and everything that happens after.
Our Purpose & Mission
To empower student-athletes to balance academics, athletic performance, and personal well-being through education, mentorship, and practical tools for managing stress, time, and competitive pressure.
What we mean by "athlete identity"
Being a student-athlete means living three lives at once: a student, a competitor, and a person. Most support picks one and ignores the other two. We think all three grow together or none of them do, so the goal isn't just better athletes. It's healthy, resilient, balanced people.
Ethan Liu
Sophomore · Fencer
Ethan founded MVP Beyond the Game as a sophomore while competing as a fencer. The idea came out of a stretch when he was running on about two hours of sleep a night. Early mornings, a full class day, practice, then homework until it stopped being night. He was stressed before every competition and convinced he could have done better after every one, win or lose.
Talking to adults helped a little, but it was awkward, and the advice always came back general. What actually worked was building his own systems: a way to plan a week that had no room in it, a routine to run before stepping on the strip, and a way to be finished with a bad bout instead of replaying it all night. His confidence, competitive and personal, came from solving it himself.
MVP Beyond the Game exists so the next athlete doesn't have to build all of that alone.
Why this work matters
report sport-related stress
In a study of 200 athletes aged 16–17, 91% reported stress from their sport. Fear of failure and self-imposed pressure were the most common causes.
report anxiety
Roughly 30% of women and 25% of men in collegiate athletics report anxiety, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
actually seek care
Only about 10% of college athletes with a known mental health condition seek professional help. That gap is the gap we work in.
Sources: American College of Sports Medicine, Statement on Mental Health Challenges for Athletes; Nature of Stress in Young Athletes, PMC9946800.
Want to help build this?
Mentor an athlete, lend your expertise, or help keep every course free.