By Allison Koth and Stella Mosby
Mental health in athletes is very overlooked in the sports industry. It’s hard to take care of all the work you are given if there are other activities or school work. Student-athletes have to deal with a lot of stress juggling sports and school. “It can be very stressful doing homework after school when basketball runs late,” said eighth grader Lily Blocksom.
Managing schoolwork with sports practices and games can be very stressful. According to Athletes for Hope, 35% of athletes struggle with mental health issues, but only 10% seek help. Many students that take part in sports may feel like practice is a job.
Although playing sports can be fun, it also has a downside. Getting home late from practice often results in staying up late and struggling to finish homework. “I definitely do not get enough sleep… when I come home, I still have homework to do. It puts a lot of pressure on me, and usually, I can not sleep through the night,” said Lily Blocksom.
Many students play two different sports and have different opinions on both of them. In addition, it depends a lot on the type of coaching; some coaches are more intense than others. Sometimes coaches and players may have opposite views. This could be the amount of workload or how long the practices are. “Basketball runs pretty late,” said Lily Blocksom.
Sports are meant to be fun, and school is mandatory, so focus on the bigger picture. If you feel you need some more advice, you should use the resources around you. “Look ahead and see what’s coming up,” said Mr. English. Talk to the school therapist about your worries or a teacher you can trust.
In an interview with Ms. Sargent, she offered a critical quote to keep in mind: “You can’t heal what you hide.” If you feel overwhelmed and you don’t talk about it with anyone or do anything to give yourself a break, it won’t make you feel any better.
Time management is essential for all athletes, not just students. Learning good time management is very important because waiting until the last minute to do things will cause stress and not get everything done. “Look for the stress points on certain days,” said Mr. English. For example, look ahead and see when tests or games are coming up. Also, use your time wisely in study halls, so you don’t have as much homework.
Being wrapped up in school and sports means you don’t get much free time, or else you will be behind on everything. When you only do your sport and schoolwork, it can be awful for your mental health.
It’s good to “find a balance,” Sargent said. “School is a lot of pressure as well as sports… find things that you enjoy that don’t have anything to do with sports or school.”
Doing the same thing every day can feel like a never-ending cycle; sports and school can be very draining. It is very important to give yourself breaks. Taking these breaks helps release stress and increases your energy levels.
According to Verywell Mind, strategies to help are to prepare enough to be confident during competition, get social support, change negative thoughts, and to talk to yourself positively. These things can be helpful for many people, but you can also try things out for yourself, so you know what is best for you.
Do things that make you happy; if your sport isn’t giving you joy, it might mean you just need a break.
According to Health Essentials, perfectionism is a significant component that causes student-athletes to feel “unsatisfied no matter how well they perform.” Someone will always be better than you in what you do. Perfection is never a reasonable or realistic goal. Athletes may feel like they aren’t working hard enough and end up overworking themselves.
Finding a balance between sports and school is essential to being happy and having good mental health, even if this means giving up one of your sports to be happy and healthy.