What Affects Athletes Mental Health?

No matter what sport you play or what team you play for, every athlete is important. 

(Image credit to The Independence )

Performance pressure from the media 

Sometimes the pressure to perform well doesn't just come from coaches or other teammates. As for the majority of athletes, the media side to sport follows them everywhere through articles, videos and interviews. Along with this, every mistake they make, every bad game they have (which every sports player has!) makes its way online to face heavy criticism. This can severely impact an athlete's confidence and self-esteem.

Injuries and mental health 

Injuries are unavoidable in sports; however, they affect the athlete's mind as well. When an athlete is unexpectedly hurt/injured, they can often experience feelings of  being ‘useless’ or ‘left out’. Injuries can also make an athlete worry about their future. With the fast evolution of sports, a several-month recovery time may mean being out of a spot on a team or without a contract renewal. This can lead to athletes ignoring injuries and cutting recovery time shorter, often making injuries worse. The mental recovery of an injury can be just as bad as the physical injury itself. Many teams and athletes have specialised sport therapists to help them remain positive while recovering.

Student athletes 

Being a student athlete adds another complexity to sport-related injuries. Not only are the athletes pressured in their sports but also in their studies, which they must balance. Many young athletes miss out on social activities as a result of this commitment, which can make them feel isolated and stressed. Injuries are also more worrisome for a student athlete as they might mean not only risking their spot on a team but also their study funding, depending on their situation.

(Image credit to Arsenal)

It’s okay not to be okay   

It's okay not to be okay, as at the end of the day, athletes are human too. Everyone has tough days and it's normal to feel the pressures of your environment. If you're an athlete feeling down and stressed, please reach out to a teacher, friend or coach. You don't have to deal with everything alone.

REMEMBER YOU MATTER

Article written by Laila Driscoll