Discover New Ways to Cope
You are Not Alone.....Reach Out
The best athletes are not only masters of their bodies, but also their minds. No athlete was ever successful without aid or guidance from another. Expand your comfort zone and seek help when needed, your health depends on it.
Mardy Fish, Olympic Tennis Player
“Mental health is not a very easy thing to talk about in sports..... We’re so trained to be “mentally tough,” in sports. To show weakness, we’re told, in so many words, is to deserve shame. But I am here to show weakness. And I am not ashamed.”
Resources
Find Tools to Get to the Next Level
“Everyone is going through something”-Kevin Love
There's no playbook for navigating mental disorders. And mental well-being is not a consequence of athletic success.
There are hundreds of thousands of college student athletes in this country and the prevalence of mental health applies to your group as well. According to the National Institute of Mental Health
“Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (51.5 million in 2019)” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021)
and young adults had the highest prevalence.
Thousands of hours have been poured into your physical training, but how much effort have you invested into your emotional disposition. So here are some resources below to help you match your physical health with a better mental health.
RESOURCES
Athletes for Hope
Mental Health Through Community, Not Competition
The founders of Athletes for Hope include the likes of Muhammed Ali, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Warren Dunn, Mia Hamm, and many more former elite athletes. In 2021 this foundation created the Whole Being Athlete Program that focuses on the holistic health of athletes.
Statistics
For You to Know That You're Not Alone
33.6%
According to one 2019 systematic study, 33.6% of elite athletes reported symptoms of anxiety/depression. As one can see, athletes are not impermeable to mental health disorders (Gouttebarge, 2019)
19.6%
This same 2019 study also found that 19.6% of elite athletes reported symptoms of distress. Psychological distress refers to symptoms caused by excess stress. This can be indicative of your mental health (Gouttebarge. 2019)