Mia Barone
Staff Writer
Mental health is something that is swept under the rug in the collegiate athletic scene, time after time. College athletes nationwide share their stories and struggles. Over the past few years, there has been a major spike in the number of collegiate athletes committing suicide. It is important that we find out why these athletes are struggling and how we can help them.
In an article by Madison Sisz, titled “Quitting Is An Option,” she explains. “The mental health epidemic raging in the collegiate athletic setting is something that needs to be talked about and changed” and asks “How many tragedies are going to occur before we look at the root issues?
“College sports have negatively impacted my mental health. I not only dealt with many self-esteem issues while playing, but still have trauma from what I experienced while on the team. I still struggle with mental health as a result,” explains Sisz. “Playing time, treatment from coaches, balancing school, and self-worth all have to do with this. Collegiate athletes all deal with both emotional and physical stress, whether they choose to talk about it or not.”
Some collegiate athletes struggle in silence. The pressure and stress that collegiate athletes undergo on a daily basis may build up. Taylor Campagna, a softball player at Millersville University, shares some of the struggles that college athletes face daily.
“The pressure that athletes experience is unlike any other; they have a fear of failing as well as the fear of not performing to the best of their ability. Athletes also experience stress from their overloaded schedules and lack of downtime,” says Campagna.
As I have analyzed the mental health struggles that many college athletes face, I have wondered what college athletics can do to improve this experience for athletes nationwide. Everyone’s mental health differs, as everyone struggles in diverse ways. Being said, there is no cookie cutter answer to how we can help support these athletes. After talking to assistant softball coach and former player Rebecca Blatt, I have gained a great amount of knowledge on how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) can support its players.
Blatt explains, “Now more than ever mental health is talked about on a scale that more closely represents the percentage of athletes that struggle in some way. The thing I believe that needs to happen to continue that trend is to provide athletes with more opportunity to seek help and receive it.”
“Athletes may be able to prevent mental illness to a certain extent by taking care of their overall health,” Blatt continues. “Just being honest with themselves is one of the biggest ways they can potentially prevent future problems because it helps identify in early stages what might become a bigger problem.”
The mental health epidemic has impacted so many college athletes nationwide. Whether they choose to share their stories or stay silent, the NCAA and everyone involved in college sports should support them.
Gaining different viewpoints on this matter can hopefully open the eyes of many to how relevant this issue truly is. College athletics should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved and hopefully with the coverage that this topic gets, that can finally happen.
