Mental Health and Sports by

NBA star Kevin Love on finding success while struggling with mental health: ‘You can’t achieve yourself out of depression’

25trey25 — 2024-02-14 03:34:57 UTC

The best way to protect your time and stress is to train, refuel, recover, and repeat. It feels good to sweat — and for me, it’s like killing two birds with one stone because it’s helping me play basketball.

Keep his memory, legacy alive': Change 4 Conner Foundation positively impacting young adults

25trey25 — 2024-02-14 03:53:48 UTC

Conner Taylor was a college baseball player at Coffeyville Community College. He was a young man with a future, but little did others know he was fighting many demons. After committing suicide his parents developed the Change 4 Conner Foundation. Marcy Taylor has made it a mission to get the topic of mental health brought up in the college baseball arena. Through the work of his foundation they are able to support other baseball programs and players through scholarships. His legacy will live on just as the topic of mental health does.

The Crisis Among College Athletes

25trey25 — 2024-02-15 03:00:48 UTC

The Federal Department of Health and Human Services has reported a higher prevalence rate of depression among young adults, with college athletes facing unique risk factors. Women, in general, have a higher rate of depression than men. Studies have found that women college athletes reported more depressive symptoms than male college athletes. Furthermore, the NCAA has reported that student-athletes have faced increased mental health concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.

College Student-Athletes Are Dying in Mental Health Crisis

25trey25 — 2024-02-15 03:11:43 UTC

Creating a mentally healthy environment where athletes feel safe is also vital. For example, providing curCreating a mentally healthy environment for athletes, where they feel safe, is crucial. It is not sufficient to provide only cursory "check-ins" with athletes. Coaches and staff must go beyond that and create an atmosphere where athletes feel safe enough to be open and honest about how they are doing, even when they are struggling. "Check-ins" with athletes are not enough. Coaches and staff must create an environment where athletes feel safe to be honest about how they are doing, even when it is not well.

What was Happening 10 Years Ago?

25trey25 — 2024-02-15 03:28:27 UTC

The suicide of Robert Enke (German goalkeeper) and Gary Speed (Welsh defender and national team manager) were two tragic events that emphasized the existing stigma around the mental health of athletes in general. Professor Gino Kerkhoffs (Chair of the Orthopaedic Surgery department of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers) started an international research program aiming to explore the occurrence of mental health symptoms among active and former professional athletes across sports and to identify the stressors contributing to these conditions.

Drew Robinson Chose Life

25trey25 — 2024-02-15 04:04:57 UTC

Major League Baseball player Drew Robinson attempted to take his own life. After surviving for 20 hours, he chose life and called for help. His mission now is to help others as he returns to baseball.

Ratio of Athletes to Mental Health Professionals.

25trey25 — 2024-02-23 03:21:39 UTC

Effective change will require student-athletes and their parents, professional athletes and their representatives, and even coaches to raise awareness with athletic administrators and organizational executives. It’s time we think about the whole athlete, not just the body. The late, great Yankees catcher Yogi Berra wasn’t exactly a math whiz, but he did show extraordinary insight into the human psyche when he said, “Baseball (sports) is 90% mental. The other half is physical.”

In other words, athletes must be free of psychological and emotional encumbrance to perform at their peak. Thus, creating fully staffed and funded mental health initiatives is a wise investment if it's all about the wins. If an athlete’s mind is clear, they can perform better. The ratio of mental health professionals per athlete should be the same as the ratio of athletic trainers to athletes.

Professionals struggle although they are among the top athletes in the World

25trey25 — 2024-02-23 03:30:20 UTC

Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, and Michael Phelps... what do these athletes all have in common? They all have struggled with mental health. Our society has push professionals towards unsustainable expectations for perfection, constant improvement, and public pressure in their performances. They have all been discussed negatively because of their desire to mend their mental health issues. They have helped shift the discussion of mental health in the sports industry from a negative topic to one that is becoming a priority among many programs.

Tampa Bay Sports Green Mental Health Ribbon on Uniforms

25trey25 — 2024-02-23 03:45:17 UTC

In May, Tampa sports ribbons for every game. While their campaign information page may not explicitly state it, indications suggest that the Rays are also supplying ribbons to opposing teams as a gesture of solidarity with Tampa.