By Morgan Paige & Brad Strand
(April 26, 2023)

Modern-day sports have evolved in the past decade with the advancement in technology. Athletes can train smarter, and longer, and advance their athletic performance in ways athletes of previous eras could not. Sport is a part of American culture, and society is more embedded in teams’ successes and athlete performance than ever before based on the accessibility of the fan experience. The explosion of social media has brought a new dimension of stressors to the athlete. The level of competition, college or professional, is under extreme levels of scrutiny from the world outside of the arena.

Outside of the rigorous mental and physical demands placed on them by their sport, college athletes must also perform in the classroom to remain eligible to participate in their respective sports. The notion that student-athletes do not experience the same difficulties regular students face is a pure fallacy; the reality is that they may be at even greater risk of poor mental health because of the pressure of commercialized college sports (Sack, 2001). Student-athletes, as college students, also face the same stressors as their classmates as they move away from family and friends and adapt to a new social and living environment as well as find their place in the rhythm of the student body.

Mental health concerns have exploded to the forefront of discussion in the workplace and on college campuses across the globe. Specifically in collegiate athletics, conversations and the need for resources are growing, yet the actions and allocations of resources are still behind. “Division 1 colleges devote tremendous resources to the physical health of their athletes. Athletics departments brim with trainers, strength coaches, orthopedists, and dietitians. Yet only a fifth of those colleges have a mental health provider that works in-house” (Field, 2019). Coaches and their athletes’ relationships can provide a space for athletes to express themselves, but coaches are not trained counselors or therapists. As much as coaches would love to help and be engaged in these tough conversations, many are not equipped or professionally trained to help successfully navigate a mental health scenario.

According to Zalaznick (2020), “…35% of professional athletes experience some form of a mental health crisis. While nearly 30% of the pros reach out for assistance, college athletes only seek help 10% of the time (p. 17).” Having accessible options available for student-athletes who provide convenience within their sporting world would benefit the entire athletic department, not just the individual. Some athletic departments refer their athletes to on-campus counseling services rather than having an in-house mental services unit. Situations can get messy when campus counseling will limit the number of therapeutic visits, and student-athletes run out of sessions and are left to fend for themselves prematurely (Gill Jr., 2008). Supporting student-athletes should be a main priority in any sport or program, but even more at the collegiate level when athletes often are on their own for the first time.

#DamWorthIt

Globally, the second leading cause of death for males aged 15-34 is suicide (Bishop et al., 2018). It is critical to reach struggling individuals and allow them to feel like they have a place to go with their problems outside of their team environment. Thus, mental health professionals provide another layer of protection for athletes, coaches, and administrators when mental challenges become more intense and consistent. At Oregon State University, student-athletes started a program called #DamWorthIt, which aimed to focus on three pillars: mental health education, mental health resources, and mental health awareness (Bishop, 2018). The program gained momentum and was adopted across the Pac-12 Conference.

One of the biggest ways to improve the environment in athletic departments around mental health is to challenge and dismantle the stigma that comes along with seeking help. Coaches can play a pivotal role in this reversal of narrative because the coach–athlete relationship has depth from the recruiting process to the role a coach can play in an athlete’s life beyond the sidelines. Supporting athletes means talking about mental health in a way that makes it okay to share feelings. In having health professionals on staff within collegiate athletic departments, mental health resources grow, student programs and resources become more accessible to the athletes, and the conversation around mental health continues to flip towards the positive.

Coach as Advocate

There are many aspects of sports training for which all coaches can serve as advocates for athletes’ mental health: the training load that athletes endure, the injuries that result from overtraining and playing, the recovery period during which athletes are questioning if they are still a part of a team, and the feeling of burnout that affects every athlete at some point during a season.

Coaches must teach their athletes how to respond to stressors in their lives in a healthy way by fostering positive psychological development. Athletes need to learn the skills that promote resilience, psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and adaptation consistent with their values. Carducci (2021) suggested the following as ways that coaches can practically advocate for their athletes:

• One mental health day per month (relief from practice)
• Positively reinforce an athlete coming forward (tell him/her “Thank you for telling me this and trusting me, let’s find you the help you need”)
• Mandatory yoga/meditation training
• Individual meetings with each athlete before the season, mid-season, and post-season to check on mood stability and outlook (conducted by coach or another designated team professional)
• Encourage staff (trainers, coaches, student managers, etc.) to recommend a mental health professional if an athlete does express concerns
• Lead by example (share insights/stories/perspectives from one’s own life)
• Recommend reading materials
• Communicate clear protocols and contact information for seeking help, confidentially if needed (could be a laminated sheet in the locker room with necessary information)
• Post a team mantra in the training room, locker room, or other practice facilities (e.g. “Create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome”, Phil Jackson.

The key to helping athletes with their mental health challenges is early intervention as early intervention can prevent the onset of long-term mental health challenges. The entire coaching staff must be on board and take athletes’ mental health as seriously as their physical health.

References

Bishop, G., Agnant, M., & Agnant, A. (2018). The Search for Why. Sports Illustrated, 129(1), 26–34.

Bishop, G. (2018). Presence of Mind. Sports Illustrated, 129(13), 27–29.

Carducci, K. (2021). What can coaches do to support athlete mental health?  Everything Athletes. https://www.everythingathletes.com/everything-athletes-blog/what-can-coaches-do-for-mental-health#:~:text=Attend%20to%20athlete%20stressors%20including,of%20mental%20health%20to%20parents

Field, K. (2019, November 8). College Athletes Push for More Mental-Health Care, Fighting “Tough It Out” Culture. Chronicle of Higher Education, 66(10), N.PAG.

Gill, E. L. (2008). Mental Health in College Athletics: It’s Time for Social Work to Get in the Game. Social Work, 53(1), 85–88. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/10.1093/sw/53.1.85

Sack, A. L. (2001). Big-time athletics vs. academic status It’s a rout. Chronicle of Higher Education, p. B7.

Zalaznick, M. (2020). MINDING MENTAL HEALTH: How colleges and universities can provide more support during tumultuous times. University Business, 23(5), 16–18