According to the NCAA, 30 percent of student-athletes self-report that they are consistently overwhelmed. The head coach of the Quinnipiac University women’s soccer team, Dave Clarke, said he sees the psychological impact on over scheduled and overwhelmed athletes all the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always been there, but it\u2019s become more and more of an openly discussed topic,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like all of a sudden there\u2019s more players or people being diagnosed with mental health problems, but it\u2019s just more acceptable to talk about and discuss.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Clarke, who has an educational background and has taught special education courses at Quinnipiac, said that there\u2019s only so much he can do for a player who is struggling mentally. However, he makes sure there is always someone around his team who has the ability to identify and treat his athletes. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou notice differences in moods, but I\u2019m not qualified to pinpoint anything in particular,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cWe do have people on staff who are more trained in that area, so I think there are people who are constantly looking out for red flags \u2013 whether that\u2019s observational, on social media or their behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Becky Carlson, the head coach of the three-time national champion women\u2019s rugby team at Quinnipiac, takes discussing mental health issues with her team seriously to ensure their comfort in disclosing whether or not they\u2019re struggling.<\/p>\n
However, she doesn\u2019t necessarily see the same initiative from other coaches at the university.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI always ask, \u2018Do we just talk about this more than everybody else?\u2019 I just don\u2019t hear about it from other teams,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cBut it\u2019s not a thing that coaches want to share because I think they feel like that means they\u2019re failing if they do talk about the fact that they have a kid who\u2019s struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlson has observed the benefits of an open dialogue about mental health, and that’s why she favors collaboration with her colleagues about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I would know that I\u2019m not by myself,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cI know that there are athletes on other teams that are struggling for a fact, but nobody talks about it. Addressing it in a group setting would be fine, but a team is only as responsive as a coach is willing to follow up on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NCAA reports that just 73 percent of student-athletes believe their coach cares about their well-being. That means 27 percent of student-athletes aren\u2019t getting the support they need from a person they are seeing nearly every day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe role has evolved so much from being a coach to being so many more things now,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cI have kids that would rather come in my office to talk rather than go over to the counseling center and talk. They want to talk to people they can trust and that they\u2019re around all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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An athlete at Quinnipiac who did not want to be identified, said coaches often fail to realize that there may be more than a physical issue with an athlete.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re human. Mental health issues affect more than just our performance; they affect our day to day lives and our ability to function,\u201d the student-athlete said. \u201cIt\u2019s very important that the coaches understand that the players might be dealing with something and that needs to be taken into account at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Carlson said the protocol for self-reporting mental illness makes it difficult for players to understand why coaches may not be aware or even know how to handle such conditions. She wants to do what she\u2019s taught and told to do, but without giving her players the cold shoulder and coming across unsupportive or not understanding.<\/p>\n
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\u201cTheir protocol is to pick up the phone and let someone know,\u201d she said. \u201cIf someone comes to me with a major issue, the last thing I\u2019m going to do is pick up the phone and turn my back on them. You can\u2019t actually create solutions for what the athletes are dealing with if you don\u2019t know what they\u2019re dealing with. And the people that create the rules and training don\u2019t deal with the athletes directly, so you\u2019re missing a crucial piece.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clarke pointed to the importance of familiarity with an athlete when that athlete exhibits unusual behavior that may suggest a mental health issue is emerging.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, they want to trust somebody,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of the time they just want someone to listen to them. But it comes to a point where it\u2019s not my area of expertise and when a player needs help, guidance and input, they need it from a professional.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes time for that professional help, Quinnipiac relies on mental health experts who are able to assist athletes.<\/p>\n
Kerry Patton, Executive Director of Health and Wellness, is a licensed therapist who also oversees the counseling center at the university. She has noted some trends amongst student-athletes seeking help for mental health issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransitioning as a freshman, transitioning as a Division I athlete, and our athletes are also from all over the world so managing the stress and emotions they may be feeling with the change in their culture or environment,\u201d Patton said. \u201cI think it\u2019s an extremely challenging job that they have to balance being a student-athlete and managing their personal needs, academic rigors and their travelling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anxiety is a mental disorder that is not only becoming more prevalent in society in general, but also among college athletes. According to the NCAA, data from national surveys show that more than 30 percent of student-athletes have experienced overwhelming anxiety.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
Patton said she thinks much of that is related to the pressure to perform.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the athletes\u2019 anxiety is coming from their performance or because they\u2019re coming from being number one on their team for so many years and then they come here and they\u2019re with everyone else who is top notch,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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That is why she is working diligently with the university to create a position for a counselor who works solely with the athletic department. That way, the players can get advice from a therapist with expertise in handling the types of situations that student-athletes go through. <\/p>\n
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\u201cWe are in very deep discussions about hopefully having someone just for athletics, like a sports psychologist, and someone who has the experience working with student-athletes because they do have some different needs,\u201d Patton said. \u201cI think more student athletes might utilize that if they know it\u2019s just for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This personalized treatment option aims to give coaches and players confidence in knowing that a trained therapist is available to discuss issues that are specific to athletes.<\/p>\n
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But there is still work to do beyond hiring a therapist.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI think it\u2019s just continuing education and trying to stay ahead of the times,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s not just with mental health, that\u2019s also strength and conditioning and technology. You want to be progressive and know how to approach certain situations. Maybe there\u2019s a trigger there with the sport \u2013 the expectation, the relationship \u2013 you just don\u2019t know. So the more we continuously get educated on that then we\u2019re doing the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ending the stigma around mental health is something that is talked about often, but Carlson wants to see it put into action. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt comes down to societal expectations and athletes have always been raised and told to suck it up because they\u2019re here to play a sport,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking it as more of a whole and how you play on the field also has a major correlation with how you\u2019re doing off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Another student-athlete who did not want to be identified said the pressure to be strong is intense, but the ability to be honest and comfortable in sharing concerns would be useful.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s overcoming that stigma and being able to come out as a student-athlete and say \u2018I\u2019m dealing with a mental health issue and I need help,\u2019\u201d the athlete said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the challenge that we face.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Clarke and Carlson said they see social media as a driver of mental health issues because of the elevated expectations these applications generate to present perfection.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no different than we see in everyday life where people talk about what they post on social media \u2013 the great cars, nice houses and vacations. If you don\u2019t post that, is your life worthwhile?\u201d Clarke said. \u201cIt\u2019s the same with sports. Very rarely do we see people posting about bad performances, losses, goals given up or sitting on the bench. We never see a sticker that says \u2018My daughter is a B student and I\u2019m proud of her!\u2019 It\u2019s always honor student or A student. So there\u2019s a perception of what a good player is based on social media versus the reality of actually performing on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Physical requirements aside, one in four student-athletes report being exhausted from the mental demands of their sport. A less judgmental and a more relaxed competitive space outside of social media for athletes to find release is imperative.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easier to not talk about it,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cI think mental health has to do with ego, too. It\u2019s very hard to admit that you have a problem or are struggling with something. We work really hard to create an atmosphere that we\u2019re all in this together.\u201d<\/p>\n
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