2 minute read
Unseen Mental Health Struggles of Student Athletes
By Sophia Goss, NYSAC Intern
In examining the demographics of your county, which teenagers would be the primary focus of allocating mental health resources to? The kids who never show up to school? Perhaps the individuals who are frequent detention-goers? But what about the star athlete with a 4.0 GPA? If this teenager wasn’t on your list I do not blame you. As the students that are often expected to be leaders, and are looked to by administration to set an example for the rest of the school, it comes as no shock that the mental health needs of student athletes are often pushed to the back burner.
The unfortunate reality is that student athletes are some of the most susceptible to struggling with mental health. According to the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, about 73% of student athletes suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or substance abuse. The immense pressure that student athletes feel to be perfect in every facet of life is staggering.
For me, playing on a State Championship winning volleyball team while taking four AP classes my senior year was far more challenging than I had ever anticipated. Thankfully, I am fortunate enough to have an incredible support system through my family, school, and team. But I am not naive, and recognize that many of my peers are not afforded this same luxury. Schools across the state have always put an emphasis on the fact that we are students before we are athletes; before we’re anything, for that matter. But of course, that is not the case; above all, we are human beings, and we struggle as much as, or more than, any other person. The difference is that, due to the way student athletes are perceived, many feel as though they do not have anywhere to turn when life becomes overwhelming. Fear and shame and the stigma surrounding mental health too often win out - and the results sometimes turn deadly.
Media accounts of up-and-coming young athletes that have taken their own lives due to the pressures they feel from school and athletics are distressingly commonplace. The notion that it is selfish to take time to check in with yourself and your mental wellbeing is still incredibly prevalent amongst young people, especially when you feel as though you have a team, family, or community that you are letting down in doing so.
So what can you do about it? It is easy to feel helpless in this circumstance, empathizing with teenagers is typically no small feat, but it is important to make sure that the student athletes in your counties have your support. Make it a priority to ensure psychologists and social workers are at the disposal of anyone who needs a listening ear, or perhaps you can go to a few games, matches, or meets every season, and commend the athletes on a job well done.
It is time that schools, counties, and New York State take a proactive approach to this critical issue. I can guarantee you that this is not a problem that will dissipate on its own, and until it is addressed, student athletes will continue to suffer in silence. It is a daunting task, there is no question about it, but I am certain that it will be easier to tackle this problem head on, rather than wait to read about another bright, talented young person who has taken their own life.
