In a world where society has begun to emphasize mental health, student-athletes are given a heavy load to carry, both physically and mentally.
Mental health is extremely important to the success of a student-athlete. To be able to balance practice, competition, success in the classroom and a social life, an athlete must avoid becoming overwhelmed, which is harder than it may seem.
Mental health issues, not just in the sports world, are often brushed off by society until it’s too late.
When athletes aren’t given the resources they need to seek help, their situation can spiral out into an unfixable problem.
In many cases, the pressures of being a student-athlete have proven too onerous, as suicide represented 35 of 477 deaths among NCAA student-athletes over a nine-year period according to a 2015 study by the National Library of Medicine.
An easy area to blame for student-athlete mental health issues is a lack of resources. Three-sport varsity athlete Linda Wang, a senior competing in field hockey, indoor and outdoor track, highlighted this deficit.
“The resources we have for athletes could always be better; coaches and programs could be doing better jobs addressing the stress of balancing school and sports… especially with underclassmen,” Wang said.
Wang noted that she has managed the high stress student-athlete lifestyle by keeping her priorities straight.
“Prioritizing my school life is extremely important; I have to get my work done before I worry about anything else… I can’t be a successful athlete without being a successful student first,” Wang said.
Time management is very important for a student athlete to avoid feeling overwhelmed. A 2021 NCAA study found 30 percent of surveyed athletes feeling extremely overwhelmed.
Having routines and struct-ure were brought up multiple times when it comes to how student athletes balance the extra stress without becoming overwhelmed.
A student athlete has a lot on their schedule each day. Say for example an athlete has an away game on a given day, what does that look like? They will have to make sure they’re eating good full meals to perform at a high level, plow through any and all schoolwork from their day and then get on a bus to go play in their game, starting around dinner time mostly, and returning to home late in the night with homework to be done to keep up in their classes.
Whether it be a home or an away game, or even a practice day, athletes have an extended schedule that consistently plagues them with late nights at their desks.
Dillon McCafferty, a senior and four year varsity basketball athlete, emphasized the importance of a good schedule.
“Having structure is very important to me and all athletes really… getting the right sleep, eating the right food, making sure you get all your work done… You have to be good with your time management and realize what’s best for your future,” McCafferty said.
Staying focused on one thing at a time is seen by many as a recipe for success, and when you’re a student-athlete, it’s important to keep the student and athlete separate from each other.
Junior Abi Stone, who plays for the girls’ basketball team, emphasized the importance of this separation.
“I find that keeping my sports and my education separate is very important… When I’m in school or doing my work I focus all my energy on school. If I think about practice or our next game, then my mind starts spinning and I don’t get anything done,” Stone said.
The struggles of being a student-athlete don’t have to be labeled as a negative. Stone said that she has learned a lot from having a heavier schedule.
“Being a student-athlete isn’t always easy; there’s definitely lots of struggles that come with it, but I feel like it builds discipline and makes you a better student and person,” Stone said.
Student-athletes carry a larger load than the average student, and the burden of adding to an already busy schedule also adds on a bigger need for mental health focus.
Photo by Ben Parry/The ECHO
