The mental health of any athlete is critical for the successes of that individual, the team they compete for, and the institution they represent. Stress is a factor that can significantly impact a student-athlete both in the classroom and on the playing surface. Student-athletes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association experience an absorbent amount of stress while attempting to balance academics, athletics and social commitment. Traditionally, the summer months were used by the student-athletes to recuperate from the stress of athletics and academics they endured over the course of an academic year. In 2012, the NCAA changed the rules that pertained to Division I basketball players that allowed coaches to hold team workouts and require their players to be on campus during these summer months. This quantitative multiple case study included an open-ended questionnaire and in-depth interviews to assess the sources of stress these student-athletes experience during the summer months. Data analysis and interpretation was inductive and sought themes from the data to triangulate the responses collected. The sample was a purposive sampling of Division I male basketball players as part of the NCAA in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Fifteen student-athletes were interviewed and categorized as freshman, sophomore, junior or senior depending on their academic standing. Results suggest that the presence of stress is consistent throughout the student-athletes, but differ in examples based on academic years. Freshmen were more concerned with being away from home for the first time and making an impact on the team, whereas older members of the team were focused on their future, playing time with the team, and not having any time for personal use. Control over what is important to each student-athlete was also assessed and a similar trend presented itself. Freshmen felt like they were in control and as the student-athletes got older, the felt less like they had a handle on what is important to them. The student-athletes were also asked to assess their ability to cope with the stress as it pertains to their individual circumstance. Again, the data demonstrated a trend that as the players matured in age and progressed through their academic and athletic careers, their perception of coping also decreased. Conclusions drawn from this subject could be used to reexamine the competition rules approve by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and help facilitate changes to help foster better mental health. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]