Mental Health In Sports
Run faster. Lift more weight. Jump higher. ALL OUT, 100%, ALL. THE. TIME
To face the pressure of performance can weigh heavily on our athletes. Does anyone think of that though? We think of our athletes as machines. Don’t get me wrong - they are. Performing at one’s peak potential, reaching a plateau of a definitive result from hours and hours of training and operations is, by definition, a machine.
How long would it take to look under the hood of the machine to truly see what makes that machine tick? We are not talking about someone’s VO2max, or anaerobic threshold. We are talking about the who, what and the why of the machine. Mental health of an athlete is a topic that still sorely remains under-utilized. Bigger, faster, and stronger. We are not getting big, or fast, or strong if the athlete is struggling.
Never hesitate to ask someone how they are doing. In truth, you never truly know what is going on inside’s someone’s head. You also will never know someone’s situation or internal challenges and battles. As a coach, teacher, practitioner, etc.. You can always ask “How are you doing today?” Don’t listen to respond, but listen to understand. If a relationship has been created with your athletes, you begin to understand when a “Good, Fine, or Okay” reply is not the truth.
Why are we not talking more about mental health in athletes? Well…in some perspective, admitting you are in trouble or saying you are not okay has been viewed as a weakness. You are admitting that you have a fault, or an error in the machine. As a perfectionist of the “game,” admitting there is a problem comes with fears. Less playing time, judgment of others, criticism from a coach, or general non-acceptance or admittance of an actual issue. When internally, you know there is an issue, or even worse, maybe you don’t even realize there is an issue.
Injuries happen every single day. Physical injuries have more prevalence in the realm of acceptance. Maybe the athlete get’s hurt for going all out on a play, or over-training to the breaking point. That is seen as athletic, and pure dedication. Why is it though, when an athlete says “I don’t like who I am,” or “Coach, I’m not in a good place,” that is thought of as “they can’t handle the pressure.” That could very well be true. From an athlete perspective though, they are competing at a top level of performance. Numerous hours of training, practice, and dedication for only a few hours of seen success. Yeah, it is a lot of pressure. Every object can break if enough force is applied to it. Poor mental health is a performance injury of itself. If the mind cannot perform, the body will make a mistake.
Conscious musings of a fellow coach aside. No athlete should go without a full support team. The Strength Coach, the Athletic Trainer, the Sports Psychologists, and team Doctor’s. That is still not enough. The individual has to feel comfortable admitting there is an issue, and understand no negative repercussions could come from it. No one who admits their self-struggle should be chastised. I pose the following challenge:
Describe 1 thing that is a personal passion for each athlete you train (outside of training)
Have any of your athletes experienced loss or a severe personal struggle?
Every day, ask an athlete or two (not the same two every day) “How are you doing?” Keep a note of the answer, and remember when you cycle back.
Ask 1 different athlete a day “What can I help you with?” Yeah, it may come across as a little odd, but try this method. At the very least, you are helping to cement a positive Coach-Athlete relationship.
Have your own support system in place. With any luck, 1, 2, or 3 of the athletes will open up to you. If that is the case, have someone you can go to if things get a little too “real.”
