Curry College athletes learn how to use the NDUR app.

Noble and Greenough student athletes talk with an NDUR counselor.

Premier League center back Naomi Girma is an NDUR ambassador.

“NDUR for Athletes” is an organization founded on the principle of supporting young athletes in navigating the pressures of high school and college athletics. NDUR started in 2022 and has grown to become a significant player in addressing the physical and mental challenges that college athletes face daily.

“NDUR was created to help athletes, particularly those at the NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 competition levels, to build community support to deal with the problems of mental health, stress and substance use disorder, said Kevin McCarthy, director of mental health for NDUR.

“This organization was built to directly address those issues and the impact they have on today’s young athletes.”

Enhanced counseling with peer-to-peer support is the key component of NDUR, providing on-demand access for student athletes through its national interconnected network, and allowing them to have confidential, anonymous conversations with fellow athletes and counselors. Through holistic and proactive support, NDUR takes each athlete’s situation individually and provides personalized educational resources to help the student-athlete get the necessary support to make wellness as much a part of their daily routine as academics, physical skills and performance training.

“In the past, when athletes got injured, they felt isolated, with no professional help available to them,” said McCarthy. “This [situation] left many athletes disillusioned and wondering where to go for help. The level of depression for an athlete in situations of this nature leads many of them to substance use disorder.”

NDUR offers programs for student-athletes, coaching staff members and athletic trainers, with the top priority being the safety and well-being of the student-athletes. This helps ensure that challenges never reach a breaking point.

NDUR’s ad states, “Our AI powered system helps surface stressors-quiet one and urgent ones-before they escalate. Student-athletes are provided real-time access to timely tools and protective resources, with built-in safeguards that make navigating adversity not just possible, but proactive.”

The athletic landscape has a torrid history of student-athletes who fell to the pressure of having to live up to unrealistic expectations of their athletic ability. When they fail to deliver on what is expected of them, they disintegrate, both mentally and physically. And when you add the injury factor to the equation, the mental strain on the young student-athlete proves to be overwhelming.

NDUR believes it has the answer to this dilemma and is receiving key support from colleges and universities across America.

Naomi Girma, an NDUR ambassador, former Stanford soccer player and present U.S. women’s national team player, said, “NDUR is a community that I wish I could’ve been a part of while I was a student-athlete. I have always found the most comfort in talking to athletes who have been through or currently going through the same challenges as me. NDUR streamlines this process by connecting athletes through community and shared experiences.”

The NDUR circle is rapidly expanding, utilizing ambassadors as an ever-expanding group of athletes on several campuses. NDUR has engaged like-minded student athletes who are passionate about sports and support each other on their journeys through college and beyond.

The organization has received top-flight professional advice from notable individuals, including NDUR President Darren Orr, son of hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr.

“After 17 years of being an agent for hockey players through the Orr Hockey Group, known today as Orr Hockey, my passion has always been to help young athletes,” said Darren Orr. “When I met with Rob Feldman, founder of NDUR, I saw a vehicle to put my passion into action. I bring a lot of experience to this job, and I plan to be at it for the near future.”

The inspiration of NDUR centers on Rob Feldman’s vision, which, he said, is “to create a safe place for athletes to come together and support each other. The future outlook for my program is that every young athlete in America has the opportunity to receive the help they need. The long-term goal is to take NDUR to a global level.”