I took this photo of Jalen Slawson at the 'Weekend of the Well' basketball game
“Never be ashamed of wanting to be a better you, period.” DeMar DeRozan, an NBA player for the Chicago Bulls, says this in an explanation of his struggles with mental health and the constant pressure of being an athlete. He strives for greatness through his love of basketball, despite his battle with depression starting in college at the University of Southern California (USC). Though this level of athletics can have a positive influence on one’s mental health, the pressure can have negative impacts on the athlete as well. When an athlete goes to the next level, specifically collegiate, there’s a variety of expectations they must fulfill to remain on that team. For many, that pressure leads to mental health issues. Issues that can possibly cost someone their life:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- OCD
- Suicide
- Drug overdose
Athletes like Katie Meyer, Robert Martin, Jayden Hill, Sarah Shulze, and Lauren Bennett all had a tragic similarity. All were collegiate athletes that passed away due to suicide since the spring of 2021. Suicide is causing rapid concerns for anyone involved in athletics around the country about mental health issues. The main issues are depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Only 30% of women and 25% of men report it to their university. However, an athlete’s mental health often gets overlooked if they have a physical injury since coaches, trainers, and the media wants to worry more about it. Another part of this issue would pertain to certain college programs that don’t provide any access to mental health professionals.
At Furman University, a huge population of athletes are involved as ambassadors in many organizations to help promote good mental health and destructing the stigma, including Tabi Conrad and Bella Cear, who were guests on a recent podcast I produced discussing the importance of contentment through one’s “craft” that they pursued on the collegiate level.
I took this photo of Bryce Stanfield this coming football season
Physical Injuries Can Cause Mental Health Issues
One thing that truly stuck out to me when Bella and Tabi were talking in the podcast was when someone undergoes an injury. Leaving one feeling depressed and anxious, believing that they will hit a “low point” in their life until they return to their sport. Bryce Stanfield, a Furman defensive tackle, describes how his injury in his foot left him to feel “lost” without playing able to play football for months. He states that, “Mental health should matter to student athletes because they are the most constricted when it comes to the amount of time they have. Student athletes will very often have to sacrifice time doing their favorite hobby or with their friends to focus on their classes and sport.”
An Athlete’s Opinion on the Stigma
Along with Bryce, Furman volleyball player, Morgan Cobb, believes that the stigma behind mental health and athletes should disappear. Acknowledging mental illness are being “overexaggerated” to stand out to a coach or media. Cobb emphasizes, “Mental health should matter more because it would make athletes and coaches get rid of the stigma surrounding an aspect that is so crucial to their game and it would improve their physical skill and the relationship they form on and off the court or field.”
Though striving to be great is the goal for most athletes, it’s also their biggest challenge through times of suffering physically and mentally when being a Division I athlete. The “silent crisis” of mental illnesses in players can be easily helped with easier access to mental health professionals provided on campus or speaking out to prove that no one is alone if struggling through a hard time. From the many years a player does to perfect the craft of their sport to making it into the next level, no one gets fully prepared on how strong you must be to handle the constant pressure. Though with the many resources athletes can do to prevent their downfall, we all must understand that mental illnesses aren’t a joke and shouldn’t be stigmatized.