Kid gloves: Addressing mental fitness in college and high school sports

We’ve devoted many words in this space to the topic of mental health & fitness in U.S. professional sports. Athletes in team and individual sports, and the leagues, franchises and player associations that surround them have all taken significant strides in providing both support and education for their athletes.

But it would be myopic to believe that the mental health challenges faced by athletes only come to bear when they reach the professional ranks or a certain age of maturity. The truth is that mental health challenges don’t discriminate against age or athletic level of achievement.

According to an NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study released in 2022, student-athletes reporting mental health concerns was 1.5 to two times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news was that the same study said that, relating to the support student-athletes receive from coaches, teammates and campus personnel:

• A majority (56%) reported knowing how to help a teammate experiencing a mental health issue
• Sixty-three percent of student-athletes felt their teammates take mental health concerns of fellow teammates seriously
• More than half (53%) reported that coaches take mental health concerns of their student-athletes seriously
• Half of student-athletes think that mental health is a priority for their athletics department

But broad statistics are one thing - what brings them to life is the real experience of the people behind the numbers. 

At alphabeats, we have a passionate base of users – a number of whom fall into this age group – who can attest to the impact these evolving conversations around mental health have on their sport. Taekwondo competitor Aymen Achnine, who balances college studies with an intensive competition schedule, believes strongly in the importance of training mentally as much as physically, also noting that “Open discussions about mental health are vital, and I believe it should be supported among athletes.” 

Another globally ranking competitor, pro kayaker Odette Latenstein van Voorst has been open about the challenges she faced when taking on her studies and competing in her “off hours.” She started to experience burnout and recalls from that time, “All of a sudden I felt this pressure from others and within myself to meet some standard. With the support of my coach, I realized I needed to take a step back and address this. That’s around the time I was introduced to alphabeats—it was the perfect moment to try it.”

These students aren’t alone in their struggles. A separate study of college coaches found that one-third of coaches reported mental exhaustion, feelings of being overwhelmed by all they had to do, and considerable sleep difficulties. Contributing factors include pandemic-related circumstances, roster management challenges, an evolving transfer landscape, concerns about their job and athletics department budgets, and dealing with personal situations (e.g., financial worries, childcare challenges). 

When you move down to the high school level, the results become more nuanced. The National Library of Medicine, a division of the National Institute of Health, surveyed 200 high school athletes between the ages of 16 and 17, examining both male and female athletes from a variety of sports, different locations, and different ethnicities.

The survey showed that approximately 91% of all the cohort experienced some level of stress due to sports. Interestingly, about a third claimed stress positively affected performance. Fear of failure and self-pressure were the most common causes of stress. About 27% who were experiencing moderate to extreme stress wanted, but did not receive, help from a medical professional. However, of all the participants who experienced some level of stress, only 18% believed that receiving help from a medical professional would not be beneficial for them.

It's difficult to directly compare the issues and stresses faced by youth athletes to those experienced by adult professionals. However, the common thread is that participating in sports can sometimes add to one's mental burden, regardless of age or level of competition. The high-profile stories of elite athletes who have openly discussed their mental health struggles and the impact on their careers underscore the importance of initiating and nurturing these conversations as early as possible.

Through open dialogue, parents, coaches, and the growing network of professionals supporting the sports ecosystem can introduce proven tools and techniques for mental fitness. Whether it's using advanced and immersive technology like alphabeats, practicing meditation, employing visualization techniques, or other methods, these strategies can help young athletes develop the mental resilience needed to thrive both in their sport and in life.