5:45 AM. An alarm blares in your ear and you quickly roll over to shut it off. You pull on a pair of socks in the darkness, feeling for the t-shirt you laid out the night before. A quick protein bar and you’re out the door, headed across campus to the gym, where you will spend the next two hours running drills with your teammates, going over plays, and conditioning until your legs go numb. If you’re lucky, your coach might give you enough time for a quick shower before your 8AM class, but you might end up sitting in the corner again so as not to offend anyone. It seems pointless to rinse off anyway because after your classes you still have an hour of weight training and then mandatory study hall. You’ll get as much homework done as you can, then finally shower and head to bed, trying to get enough rest to do it all over again the next day.
This is a typical school day for many college age student-athletes across the United States. It leaves little room for anything outside of whatever sport the athlete participates in and the classes they attend. Though some go through this grueling process for the promise of a scholarship, many simply play for the love of the game.
Although the debate on whether or not student athletes should be paid for their efforts on the field is widely discussed, other resources provided for these unique individuals are not. Every student-athlete is required to go through a physical, a screening by a doctor or health professional to ensure that they are physically fit enough to play. Very rarely has any student-athlete gone through a mental screening to ensure that they are mentally healthy enough to handle the stress of balancing school, workouts, and a social life.
Mental health has recently made its way into the public eye, with more awareness on what causes and contributes to mental illness. This has lead to more people being diagnosed, treated and coping with their illnesses in constructive ways. However, this has yet to make its way to college campuses. College students are prone to mental health issues due to the highly stressful environment, but student-athletes are particularly high risk. Physical strain, exhaustion and limited rest time coupled with pressure to perform both in the classroom and on the court can lead to serious mental issues. When an athlete suffers a physical injury, special care is taken to ensure that they heal in the best way. They are checked almost daily by a trainer and are often put on a recovery regimen. They may have to sit out of practices and games for a certain period of time, but often athletes will try to come back before they have completely recovered due to the stigma that they may be “faking” it. This can cause more strain on their bodies, and dealing with extra pain while trying to perform at the expected level, which only leads to more stress.
Coaches are a big part of the issue. Because their job is to win games, they often seek to push their athletes as far as they can go. While there are rules on how long coaches can keep players in practice, and a minimum amount of rest time they are required to give players between workouts, coaches often find ways around these rules. By holding “optional” open gyms where players participate in pick-up games, they are able to still get them moving while not having it be an official practice. Those who show up get more exposure and are more likely to see the floor. However, coaches rarely look into the well-being of their players. Many would like to increase the intensity and duration of their workout sessions, both in and off season. Though it is understood that athletes have to be in peak condition, they are still student-athletes. Many programs advertise that academics come first, but this is simply not the case. With as little regard given to grades, it’s no surprise that mental health is completely looked over in most programs. Coaches rarely check in on how their athletes are doing outside of the gym, and because of their limited social time, it is sometimes difficult to see when an athlete is struggling. A lot of players don’t have a good support system at home, so they are left to deal with the majority of their issues on their own. As a former student-athlete, one of the biggest challenges I faced was trying to manage my time. I am unique in that I majored in theater and was involved in productions on my campus. Unlike other majors, where you can work on assignments in your free time, I had an obligation to show up to rehearsals and performances at a certain time. The conflicts were numerous, and working with my director and coach was a nightmare. The toll on my mental health was severe, and I can still remember my numerous breakdowns in the shower. No one ever bothered to ask me how I was handling things, I was just expected to deal with it.
The easiest solution to this problem is to make mental screenings mandatory - just like physicals. Requiring athletes to attend a brief class on how to deal with extreme stress and recognizing the symptoms of mental illness may also be beneficial. Having weekly or even monthly meetings with a professional who can help student-athletes learn about time and stress management, as well as, just being an outlet for players to vent. This could also be available to other students on campus.
As much pressure as student-athletes are under, it only makes sense to give them the resources to help deal with their struggles in a healthy way. We aren’t asking for anything extreme or unreasonable - just enough to help us enjoy our college experience.
