Mental Health and Student Athletes

Photo By: Abby Plevin

Being a student athlete you have many emotions and feelings going through your head and mind at a time. It is difficult to balance so many thing going on in your life as a student athlete and still be able to perform well in the classroom and on the court. Sometimes as a student athlete it is easy to forget that you need to take care of your mind and emotions just like you take care of yourself physically. Sometimes mental health is something that gets overlooked because athletes are known to be strong both emotionally and physically. Unfortunately mental health issues is more common in student athletes than you would expect. 

Top 3 things that affect student athletes mentally 

1. Pressure from coaches/teammates/family

2. Academic stress

3. Social life

Mental Health is something that athletes need to be more comfortable with and willing to ask for help when they need it. Sometimes it is easy to forget that everyone wants to help you and support you in any way possible. Without voicing to others you are struggling it is very hard for someone to assume you are needing help or having personal issues.There is also a sigma behind mental health which will stop student athletes from feeling they should voice there issues and emotions. but by acknowledging mental health struggles as a legitimate concern, coaches can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in sports and promote a healthier environment for student athletes.Your mental health is important and people are there to help you. No matter what issues you may be experiencing remember your feelings are valid and there are resources help you through hard times.

In conclusion mental health is something many athletes struggle with during there athletic career. It is crucial for people to understand the importance of mental health and to prioritize there mental health before anything else. It is also important for the staff, coaches, family, and friends of someone who is experiencing mental health issues to be supportive and helpful. Don't you feel it is important to be happy and live in the moment? Never forget everyone is on your side to support your journey!