The Mental Health of Student Athletes
Nate Williams (8)
The clock is ticking, time is running out and your team is still 2 points behind, everyone is stressed and annoyed. There’s yelling and shouting from your coach and teammates. The buzzer rings loud in your ears as you see that you have lost, and you feel frustrated with not only yourself but just everything. You question what you could have done or what you should have done, but in the end you can’t go back in time to fix it. Coming home after losing and being yelled at is not a great feeling but as you lay on your bed exhausted you remember the project that is due tomorrow and suddenly you are busy all over again.
This can truly affect someone’s mentality causing them to want to give up. It can be hard to balance school and sports but it is not impossible. There are lots of athletes who are struggling or have struggled with mental health for example Ricky Williams and Michael Phleps are just a few athletes who are struggling or have struggled with mental health. Struggling with mental health is something that should be spoken about because It’s completely okay to ask for help and be open about what you are dealing with. The mental health of a student athlete is constantly dismissed with being busy with your sport, school, and just life.
Having a good coach is key when it comes to playing sports because they are the ones that are supposed to help and motivate you to get better. A coach with bad coaching can make you lose the love of your sport and the motivation.
Teammates also contribute to the love and motivation of your sport. Having a good relationship with your team is the only way you are able to win or just have fun and enjoy the things you do. When you have a bad relationship with a teammate or even your team it causes bad energy and may even affect your playing.
It’s always important to take care of your mental and physical health, so here are some recommended ways to improve your mental health are improving sleep, which can be difficult especially with such a busy schedule but going to bed early and fixing your sleep schedule will help. Spending time outside just taking in sunlight and just the beauty of nature around you can truly help someone clear their mind.