Annika Young     

 With the increase in acknowledgement of mental health issues not only around the world, the media and in schools, a focus needs to shift to athletes as well.

     While the school has preventative measures at the beginning of seasons, the quick Google Form tests are not enough to determine personal struggles or limitations that should be set on a player, and the majority of coaches seemingly do not care enough about their athletes’ mental health as long as their physical health is okay. 

     Oftentimes, players will hear coaches dismiss their struggles and counter their attempts at reaching out with a, “You’re only a high school athlete.”  However, mental health in athletes of all ages and all sports needs to be taken 

seriously by coaches, parents and even a school’s athletic board.

     According to ClevelandClinic.org, “Research shows that between 5% and 35% of elite athletes report a mental health disorder. Numbers are even higher among college athletes.”

     Conditions such as anxiety, burnout, eating disorders, traumatic stress disorders and sleep disorders are common in athletes.

     “Young people engaged in highly competitive environments, however, face a range of stressors that may contribute to more challenging experiences. Undeniably, there has been a rapid cultural transition in many countries toward increasingly professionalized youth sports. These tend to focus on intense and frequent training loads with an emphasis on performance outcomes,””Mental Health Among Elite Youth Athletes: A Narrative Overview to Advance Research and Practice” said.

     Students typically have practices or games/competitions daily after school while in season and less frequent “optional” practices while out of season. While the consistency can benefit a team or player, the daily time sacrifice can add up. Students can be at the school from when they arrive in the morning to past 9 p.m., and this commitment to the team has the ability to hurt the player.

     Being a student athlete means the student still has the responsibility of completing their homework and the amount of work all expected to be completed after a game can lead to sleep disorders and anxiety surrounding the build-up of work to be done. 

     These factors can contribute to burnout as well and having to continue performing at a consistent level while experiencing academic and/or athletic burnout can continue the cycle.

     ClevelandClinic.org stated, “A survey of college athletes found that 50% experienced overwhelming anxiety during the previous year.”

     The pressure often experienced by athletes whether applied by their coaches, parents or themselves can lead to intense anxiety surrounding the sport, coaches and even teammates. This pressure can also take form in eating disorders. 

     “Fear of failure and self-pressure were the most common causes of stress. About 27% who were experiencing moderate to extreme stress wanted, but did not receive, help from a medical professional,””Prevalence of stress amongst high school athletes (v2)” stated.

     “Prevalence of stress amongst high school athletes (v2)” further explained how for the past 10-15 years anxiety and depression have been increasing in high school athletes. 

     These same athletes are proven to have difficulties seeking out help as stated in “[…]a study revealing that only 10% of college athletes experiencing mental health problems try to receive help,” “Prevalence of stress amongst high school athletes (v2) stated.” 

     Not only does this pressure affect the greater mental state throughout the rest of an athlete’s life, but the stress affects the athletes ability to succeed in their sport.

     “As stress got more severe, it was more likely for athletes to report a negative effect on their performance. Of those who reported being very or extremely stressed due to playing a sport, half reported that stress negatively affected their performance,””Prevalence of stress amongst high school athletes (v2) stated.” 

     More preventative measures need to be taken when it concerns student athletes. Especially considering the amount of work and pressure students undertake, the word “student” in student athlete should be prioritized and the mental health of all students needs to have a larger focus when it comes to education and personal lives.

     According to “Mental Health Among Elite Youth Athletes: A Narrative Overview to Advance Research and Practice,” “Despite the clear importance of supporting mental health in youth, evidence suggests that young people report unmet needs and inadequate care. Better approaches to supporting young people during this developmental period are needed.”