Sports and Students’ Mental Health
At a young age, sports are commonly perceived as positive, extracurricular activities for young kids’ mental health. They enable children to develop teamwork and goal-setting skills and foster lasting friendships. However, at the high school level, student athletes notice fewer benefits.
The prevalence of mental illness is a concerning issue for high school students. In 2021, according to the Centers of Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), 42% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless and 29% experienced poor mental health.
Also in 2021, more than 1 in 5 considered attempting suicide and 1 in 10 attempted suicide.
These stark figures are attributed to a wide variety of causes, such as social pressure and academic stress, but we must remember a vital contributor: sports. While sports can provide mental health benefits including social interaction and happiness when attaining goals, student athletes face challenges which are often overlooked.
Demanding schedules can include two practices a day, making it hard for students to complete homework while prioritizing sleep. Student athletes are also at risk of overtraining and injury, especially in sports with repetitive motions, such as cross country and track and field.
Addison Byrne, a Miramonte senior, was misdiagnosed with an infrapatellar fat pad impingement, when the fat pad at the knee becomes pinched, only to later find out she had runner’s knee, a common overuse injury.
“It was a week before the championships and I was really disappointed because I had a good chance of doing really well in that meet,” said Byrne.
Along with injuries, fear of failure and self-pressure are common causes of stress in athletes.
“In club swimming there is a lot of pressure by the coaches to always compete at 100%, which creates a negative atmosphere on the team where people bring each other down or cheat to get ahead,” said Sophie Lederle, a senior at Campolindo.
Club sports are year round commitments rarely providing athletes with breaks or recovery time for physical and mental well-being. They can easily lead to burn-out and cause kids to quit club sports entirely, especially when paired with school sports.
Lederle, who quit club swimming earlier this year, found swimming for her school was more rewarding.
“Swimming for high school is a lot better for mental health because of the team community; everybody helps each other and there is less pressure to be the best,” said Lederle.
In comparison to club sports, high school sports contain more team activities and often possess a more lighthearted atmosphere.
But there are still ways to excel in sports while prioritizing mental well-being.
Asher Patel, a senior at Miramonte and Aruban national record holder in the 1500m, started running as an outlet for his mental health.
“I run every day, but sometimes it’s not the best outlet because it’s so repetitive, so I’ll go on a bike ride or go for a walk,” he said.
Addressing the mental health challenges faced by student athletes requires the involvement of coaches, parents and the athletes themselves. Taking breaks to regenerate and engaging in alternative physical activities are crucial for athletes.
“There’s a notion that we always have to be pushing 100% or else we won’t improve,” said Lederle. “But this isn’t true and can be really negative.”
