Student Athlete Mental Health: Tips for a Positive Experience

Student Athlete Mental Health: Tips for a Positive Experience

Hey folks, did you know that sports can be a super cool way for kids and teens to stay fit, make friends, and learn some important life skills? No, really, playing sports can offer them all these and a lot more. But here’s a catch – if we, as adults, don’t make sure they’re having a good time playing, it can make them feel not-so-good mentally. Sounds serious, isn’t it? Let’s dive a bit deeper to understand this better.

As Beaufort High School athletic director Bradley Adams once said, “Sports take focus, discipline, determination, self-control, self-motivation, mental and physical toughness. It teaches us so many valuable lessons about life that we cannot get anywhere else.” Pretty cool right? But he also reminded us that sporting competitions are just passing phases, and the true worth lies in the lessons learned from them.

Why Sports are awesome for kids and teens

Here are some quick facts: kids and teens who play sports are more likely to engage in healthy habits like daily exercise, adequate sleep, and well-balanced eating. They’re often found to be more confident about their academics and even their goals—that’s a big +1.

The not-so-cool side of playing sports

But not everything is always hunky-dory. Intense emotions and the pressure to perform sometimes can get really tough for young athletes to handle with their self-image and self-regulation skills still being developed. Plus, they can get injured if they’re training too much without giving their bodies some rest.

Case of self-worth

Imagine a young athlete who has performed below their set standards. It can be tough on them. They may start to misinterpret their sporting performance as their self-worth, which isn’t healthy at all.

Unsustainable perfectionism

High standards in sports aren’t a bad thing, but being unrealistically perfect, as Dr. Valerie Valle, a sports psychologist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Institute says, can have negative consequences. Such athletes might not take risks fearing failure, might get too sensitive towards criticism, or even downplay their accomplishments attributing them to just luck.

Stress and anxiety for young athletes

This is an important one folks! Our young athletes might be stressed due to a variety of reasons, right from losing a game to not being able to balance sports with their studies or other hobbies. Too much stress, even the good one, can make them feel overwhelmed, anxious and agitated, perhaps leading to sleep disturbances, stomach upset, headaches, and sometimes problematic behaviors.

Depression among the athletes

Depression is often misunderstood, which makes it even more critical. Sometimes, a young child’s sadness might be mistaken as mere boredom or distractedness. Parents need to stay vigilant for signs such as changes in sleep or eating habits, decrease in interest, or prolonged sadness, as these might be indicative of depression.

Sporting burnout amongst youth

Burnout is when young athletes feel physically and emotionally exhausted, start considering their sport as less important, and lose the feeling of accomplishment. They might seem disinterested, choose to stay away from the sport more often, feel defeated, or even express the desire to quit the sport.

What Can We, as Adults, Do About It?

Yes, it seems like a handful but don’t worry—we can help our young athletes. Dr. Valle advocates for open dialogue—they might be bottling stuff up, and it’s essential to let them express. It’s important to understand the nature of their stress – is it a one-time situation or an ongoing issue.

As adults, we can help them understand the real purpose of sports. It’s not always about winning – it’s about learning valuable lessons which will help them throughout their life journey— sort of what Coach Adams said earlier..

While it might be exciting to see young ones excel in one sport, it’s important to ensure that they get sufficient rest and breaks from training. Balance is the key, folks! It’s also important to keep sports enjoyable—we want our kids to look forward to their practice sessions, not dread them.

In conclusion, while sports can be an enriching experience for kids and teens, it’s also crucial to make sure they’re having a good time doing it. They ought to cherish their sports journey as a fond memory that offers lessons for a lifetime. Let’s help them do just that!