Mental health and sports by Kirsten

Mental health and sports by Kirsten - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Athletes' mental health is coming to light more recently. However the focus is more on professional and college athletes. Highschool athletes have a lot going on in addition to their sports. Friends, schoolwork, drama and college prep all affect highschoolers. Many athletes also play multiple sports. These things can have a greater impact on athletes if not addressed early on. They can also have a greater impact if an athlete is pre-susceptible to mental illness because of family history, or outside factors. Studies have shown that thirty percent of female student athletes struggle with mental health issues. Three out of ten players have anxiety or depression. Any three of my teammates could be struggling mentally. Mental illness in a sport can be more detrimental because of everyone’s expectations. When that athlete underperforms or has a bad game, it is so easy for them to get down on themselves and experience an increase in anxiety or depression. When a coach or parent becomes critical of their capabilities, it only makes things worse for the athlete.
Throughout high school, I had a coach who would always disparage his players. I saw how it made my teammates feel and how it affected their performance. While the team got along with each other and supported each other, my coach reversed the positive atmosphere we tried to create. This made it more difficult to stay positive and we struggled as a team. This was when I decided I wanted to help players with coaches like mine and help coaches understand that how they act affects their team. When we played against other teams, I would see how other coaches treated their players, and saw how well they worked together. Those teams often had higher success rates as well as more camaraderie among players.
When I was a junior, I struggled with my mental health. When I underperformed in my sports, it made it worse. I felt like I didn’t have an identity outside of sports; my athletic ability comprised all of me. I felt like I couldn't contribute to the world because all I had was sports. I didn’t really know who I was outside of practice, training, and games. I thought that because I had a bad game that I wasn’t worth the space I took up or the opportunities I had. I didn’t have a solid support system in my life that I thought I could go to. I realized then how important it is for athletes to know that sports don’t define who they are and they have an identity outside of athletics. I have found hobbies and other things I enjoy outside of sports. I like my ceramics class and learning about history. I love dinosaurs and cooking. I like to listen to music. My favorite color is purple but I also like pink sometimes. These are the things that make me who I am, not my athletic achievements. My ability does not define me nor does it define anyone else.
I want to help athletes and coaches because I know what can happen when an athlete struggles mentally and how it can affect both them and their team. I want coaches to realize that what they say to players has an impact on them, especially when their players are teenagers. Teens have enough going on and sports should be an outlet for them when school or life gets hard. Sports should be fun, not adding more stress into a person's life, no matter the level of play.