Spark The Conversation: College Athletics and Mental Health
College athletics and the NCAA is one of the most highly looked after athletic businesses in the United States. With thousands of college athletes competing across numerous sports, the NCAA has turned into an entertainment business with largely viewed events such as March Madness and the College Football Playoffs. But, with all this attention it can be hard at times to see behind the screen of who is actually playing these sports. These 18–23-year-olds are just college students trying to find out who they want to be in life. But, on top of the commitments of school, these college students are seen by the outside world as professional athletes. With multiple hours a day spent on just athletics alone, there is not much free time between sports, academics, and other commitments. The National Institute of Health states that “the brain finishes developing and maturing in the mid-to-late 20s” (NIMH). These college athletes have more on their plate than most young adults do while in college and these demands can bring numerous physical, psychological, and emotional challenges along the way. With all the time commitment’s occurring within their lives, these demands can very easily take a toll on their mental health especially when thinking about how their brains are literally not fully developed or matured. But, with a non-fully developed brain, these student athletes are required to act, think, and perform as an adult would which goes unnoticed by the outside world. There have been glimpses of discussion about college athletics and mental health, but these conversations slowly drift away into the dark. Mental health within college athletics is an invisible plague that seems to not want to be discussed within the society of college athletics.
Leading Factors
There have been little studies behind the relationship between college athletics and mental health. But, since this is not a large topic of conversation, there are not many recent studies behind how these student athletes are truly feeling. An NCAA study in 2015 found that 30% of student athletes reported struggles with mental health and to add this number was 1.5 times higher during the Covid-19 pandemic (NCAA). These are large numbers, and the surveys as well were not sent to even a quarter of student athletes. These numbers are continuing to rise as the conversation about mental health and college athletics does not. The feeling of college athletes struggling with mental health can come from numerous factors. Firstly, we are able to discuss and acknowledge what the pressures are of being an athlete. Being able to perform at the highest ability for their team and respective university is a feeling every athlete gets, and this feeling to perform well can be very overwhelming. Athletes become mentally wired to their performance so in a case that an athlete does not perform well, this can lead to the stress and an overwhelming feeling that comes with mental health issues. With the stressfulness to perform well, there is also the physical demand that athletes put on their bodies. Spending hours a day on a respective sport can be exhausting. Balancing academics and multiple hours per day on athletics leaves little time for rest, recovery, and resting the mind. The physical demand can lead to injuries which eventually lead to anxiety and depression because these athletes aren’t able to compete in the sport they love. Lastly, the demanding schedules of student athletes cause little to no free time socially. It is hard to make friends and meet new people when these athletes are running around between class, practice, and studying which leads to feelings of loneliness. These are just a few of many factors that student athletes face every single day which many people do not realize.
Breaking Barriers
With all these factors leading to mental health issues among college athletes, why don’t these athletes speak out and seek help? This question can be surrounding anyone with mental health but why do student athletes have a hard time with this? There are numerous barriers that block these athletes from seeking help. One of these barriers can include the general stigma to mental health in our society. People see mental illness in our society as a negative and a looked down upon issue. To add on top of this, student athletes are being followed, covered, and watched by thousands of people across the United States and consistent news media coverage. The national spotlight is in fact on student athletes tremendously more than your average college student. This national spotlight can make it extremely difficult for student athletes to seek help as they may feel ashamed or embarrassed. Stories such as Stanford soccer player Katie Meier and Binghamton lacrosse player Robert Martin are just two of many examples of this problem surrounding mental health in college athletics. Both of these individuals have ended their own lives due to mental illness and when talking with peers after, they were unable to see anything wrong and didn’t notice either of them were struggling with mental health. There were no indicators in the eyes of their peers. These heartbreaking stories only gained so much media attention before media outlets moved on to the next story and the conversation ended. This conversation can never end between mental illness and student athletes. It is a problem that thousands of student athletes face every day in silence.
Overall Importance
When discussing mental health in college athletics, there are always questions that will arise regarding what can be done. But I believe the most important answer to this question is making a shift. Making a shift in our culture surrounding mental health in sports and not looking down upon seeking help or acknowledging its existence. Student athletes should feel encouraged to seek help and prioritize their mental health rather than feeling ashamed. This is only possible with not letting the conversation die. This conversation needs to spark a rise among athletes and support one another through the troubles of mental illness that spread across college athletics. Famous athletes such as Michael Phelps and Gabby Douglas have helped bring light to the non-discussed topic of mental health in sports. Now, it is time for this conversation to take flight as we take action towards helping student athletes and their relationships with mental health.
