The pressure of performance; the need to provide for your team as well as your grades. The pressure to put in 100% in every little play or action you do on and off the field. There is an expectation to excel in your sport while the need to balance personal life and academics. Student athletes today are faced with an extreme amount of stress which results in mental health issues. Coaches, parents and peers emphasize the cost of success. Throughout time the stress builds up and sooner than later the love for the sport is gone because it was too hard to handle in addition to everything else.
“35% of student athletes experience eating disorders, burnouts, depression, and anxiety,” according to Timleycare.com.
In reality there is one question: what can we do to help?
Stick to the facts
We all know the effects of mental health struggles. All across the news people have heard how mental health is impactful on people, but do people know how serious the results of mental health issues are? According to an NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study released in 2023, the number of student-athletes who had mental health concerns and signs is 1.5-2 times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. In January, the NCAA Coach Well-Being Study reported 40% of head coaches felt mentally exhausted on a near-constant basis. The scariest part is, student athletes are either too scared to reach out, or do not know where to go.
“Fewer than half (47%) felt they would be comfortable personally seeking support from a mental health provider on campus,” according to the NCAA.
Mental Health is not always taken in a serious manner and is a relevant problem in the world.
Solution
Even though student athletes knew the stress in a sport and other extracurricular activities would be hard to juggle, what they didn’t know was their mental health would deteriorate. There are many solutions to this issue. Speak to the student, make sure they are okay, and not mentally and physically exhausted. If you are an athlete, it is ok to not be ok. It is ok to seek help. You are not the only one who has these thoughts when you talk to someone you can get on a path to a safe recovery. Just remember, if you or a loved one is in pain.
“Mental health is no joke with athletes, I’ve seen my friends go downhill because of the overwhelming pressure,” Morgan McCulty ’27 said.
Reach out to a doctor for extra help if needed.
The pressure faced by young athletes can have profound effects on their mental and physical health. We as athletes face challenges every day, in the game. Mental blocks test them to hide their emotions.
“I wish more people knew the impact of mental health because it’s such a big issue in the world today,” Katie Heyd ‘25 said.
Life is too short to be sad, tired and mentally not in it anymore. This is a call to action, a warning. Please check in on your athletes, because you never know what they are faced with. Do not lose the fight to mental health, win the game and seek the help.
