Ashley McDermott ’26
Exec. Sports Editor
Men’s basketball forward Trevor McDonald ‘26 is making strides within the Trinity College’s community, advocating for mental health awareness in collegiate athletes. McDonald, reigning from Natick, Massachusetts joined Trinity’s men’s basketball team as a first-year after previously playing for Canterbury School. Over the span of four years, McDonald has accumulated 392 points and has played over 1,800 minutes. On March 11, the senior uploaded a video to Instagram, explaining the journey to building mental strength despite challenges and adversity. This advocacy came through the NDUR for Athletes program, where they have welcomed Trevor McDonald as an NDUR x MADD Sports Game Changer. The Tripod sat down with McDonald to discuss the importance of self care, and how athletes across the nation can benefit from connection and community support.
Trevor McDonald ’26 headshot. Photo Credit: Bantam Sports
McDonald explained the NDUR group as one that specializes in mental health for athletes in college. According to their website, NDUR “gives athletes a safe, anonymous space to share experiences, support one another, and feel less alone in the pressures of college athletics.” When beginning this relationship, McDonald shared “I actually know a couple of guys who work there, Kyle Butler and Alex Stoddard. They reached out to me because they liked some of the stuff I was posting on my Instagram and advocating for mental health.”
When reflecting on being a senior involved with this group and on campus, McDonald said that “I wish I did this when I was younger. Now that I’m a senior, my time in college is beginning to wrap up. But they still want me to be involved with their project and organization, and they asked me to make a video. That’s why I shared that post.”
It is not just McDonald working with his teammates to encourage discussions on mental health. For him, this project extends to all Trinity athletes. “I got a lot of great texts about it,” he shared, “which I think is great because I feel like mental health, especially with men, is not talked about enough. I think men are taught to hold their feelings inside, and that’s not a very healthy way to live your life. So, I don’t mind making myself a little vulnerable because it helps people.” With social media as his main platform to share support, he has been able to reach students with a positive message. “Even if only a few people take something away from me, I could say without a win. Over the past six months, I’ve done a lot of inner work. I started reading and listening to different speakers like Tony Robbins and Mel Robin, and listened to other mentors in my life help me to be better.” Beyond the idea of reaching growth, McDonald appreciates the journey and the work that comes before. “It’s not just being better, it was about everything I needed to work on. It’s been great for me. And that kind of inspired me to start posting some of my stories.”
On sharing online quotes and messages, McDonald told the Tripod that it is never about attention. His goal has been to help people feel less alone. The daily pieces of inspiration have helped McDonald through his own personal tough times, so this has been his way of inspiring the community. Trevor shares that other students have “come up to me, saying ‘I love what you’re posting. Thank you so much.’ I just do it because I just want to help people like the people who have helped me so much.”
In valuing the journey over everything else, McDonald said that “If the process is easy, I don’t think you’re doing it right. If you’d really want to change the things in your life, you should hunker down and start doing the real work. The benefits are incredible. I still have a long way to go, but I’m starting to feel so much better about myself. Don’t be afraid to change and don’t be afraid to take risks.”
In regards to athletics and mental health, McDonald acknowledged the way sports can be both a vessel for confidence and one’s own worst enemy. “With basketball, I used to base my self worth on how well I played or if I won. If I lost and didn’t play well I would think that I was worthless.” McDonald changed his attitude when he recognized that basketball did not have to take up his entire life. He described it as being just a piece of his life, along with family and friends. Besides being a member of the basketball team, McDonald is also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity on campus. He shared that he is grateful to have joined Pike during his sophomore year because of it becoming another positive outlet in his life. In investing in other facets of his life, McDonald could count on his other accolades to ground him and bring positivity.
McDonald still recognizes and appreciates the support he has received from Trinity College athletes. He shared, “my teammates have been really supportive. I think this will especially inspire the younger guys, since they ask us seniors plenty of questions and they’re very invested in basketball.” Besides basketball, McDonald has been reached by athletes across many sports at Trinity, expressing their inspiration and positivity they felt from McDonald’s advocacy.
McDonald gave the Tripod his final remarks, sharing that “I just want to spread the message, trying to be the best for yourself. People should look in the mirror and ask ‘what could I do better? The world is not gonna change for you. It’s just not. But you could change yourself. You’re not responsible for what happens to you, but you are responsible for what you do after.”