What tactics can collegiate athletes use to deal with sports-related stress and pressures to continue performing at their greatest potential? by Rose Memmolo

Julie Kliegman

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-01 14:32:21 UTC

Kliegman is from Queens, New York. She is a writer and an editor who wrote Mind Game: An Inside Look at the Mental Health Playbook of Elite Athletes. Her book was published on March 5th, 2024, meaning all her information is recent and relevant.

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rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-02 13:52:07 UTC

Non-fiction Connection

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-06 17:30:31 UTC

Both this article and Mind Game emphasize the importance of having reliable resources on college campuses as well as a supportive team culture. The article states, “USC’s sports psychology department found that many first-year students had anxiety and stress due to performance expectations and scholarships.” Especially for freshmen, sports, and school can be very overwhelming, and without addressing the issue, things may only worsen. Coaches also hold a high position in their athlete's mental health, “Coaches who prioritize mental health recognize that it’s not just the athlete’s physical abilities that contribute to their success, but also their mental state.” Coaches need to make their athletes aware of their resources, be supportive, willing to talk and keep communication open. This way everyone can stay on the same page and feel comfortable discussing any issues. Gaining this knowledge has proven to be beneficial for athletes. Kliegman explains, “Mental health care available for collegiate athletes… has improved drastically in recent years… by the early 2020s… every Power 5 school had at least one mental health clinician in house - if not two, three or four,” (118, 122).

Choice Connection #1

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-06 17:33:13 UTC

The Metamorphosis connects to Mind Game more indirectly. In The Metamorphosis, the main character, Gregor Samsa, is experiencing an extreme mental illness. He wakes up one morning feeling nothing like himself and, ultimately, as if he turned into a bug. Gregor stops going to work and no longer leaves his room. This type of transformation represents the way mental illnesses can get into your head. It can convince you that you are something you aren’t and can't do the things you’re used to doing. For athletes, it can be the same. Playing the sport you’ve been playing for your entire life but with the added stress and pressures from school, friends, and the sport in general, it can be challenging to stay healthy mentally. This can lead to questioning yourself and your abilities.

Soul Surfer

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-08 18:17:44 UTC

Bethany Hamilton can finally return to surfing after the shark attack. She is given a head start but chooses not to take it. Her biggest competitor is also in the competition and continues to beat her to waves. She gets angrier and angrier out at sea until Hamilton ends up in an impact zone and has to be taken out of the competition by a jet ski. Once back on land, she is extremely frustrated with herself. Although there were many other factors to her defeat, she got into her head which took her out of the competition. She went back home and continued to practice and practice which led her to be the successful surfer we all know today. She used her family and friends as a support system who also helped her practice and evaluate her surfing. Like many other athletes, Hamilton got in her head and took herself out of her game. By using her support system, she was able to escape her thoughts and be a prime example of how others can help when we are struggling. She finds her confidence and proves she can still surf the same as she did before.

Choice Connection #2

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-13 18:36:05 UTC

The author is experiencing the same mental health problems that many other athletes experience. Our minds convince us that we aren't good enough. They make us think that there is always more to be done. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others. Wishing we could be like them for even a second. Most of these types of feelings have to do with confidence. When athletes are confident in themselves, they don't second-guess their decisions or worry about how they appear compared to others. It's also important to not dwell on mistakes. As stated in the poem “Because that would mean I didn’t make a single mistake, I didn’t fumble once, I didn’t lose my player, I had crisp, hard shots, I made smart, fast plays, But I always mess something up. Always mess something up”, the writer is constantly thinking about what they did wrong. Having this mindset is only going to make the next play worse. Yes, it is important to acknowledge mistakes and what could have been done differently for the next time, but they can’t be a persistent thought.

Art Connection

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-15 20:54:47 UTC

This image depicts a woman who may be a counselor with three athletes surrounding her. Many objects are flying around including a volleyball, basketball, football, baseball bat, and a soccer ball. There also is a very strong wind which is pulling the athletes into the black hole as well. The dark hole everything is being pulled into is representative of how people with mental health problems can feel. As said by Chamique Holdsclaw in Mind Game, “I felt I had no control, and it was a constant struggle” (62). She didn’t think she could control any of her thoughts or emotions. This can feel as if you have to continue to go down in a spiral which is exactly what the black hole looks like. The athletes are using their counselor to keep them out of the dark place that their brains are trying to bring them. This image also shows of how many college athletes would have the same counselor. Although there has been great progress, not everyone is going to be lucky enough to have their own.

How Can You Say It's Just A Game? By Samuel Ward

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-17 14:17:33 UTC

The author takes a different approach to viewing sports. Ward emphasizes that sports can be more important to people than you think, “When it can be one’s passion and drive, This thing you call just a game, Has shaped and changed so many lives”. Many who play sports have been playing since they were young, meaning it’s been a constant in their lives for a very long time. Their love and drive for the game have taught them how to succeed and be willing to fail without giving up. For college athletes, it’s important to remember everything your sport has given you when times get hard. Remember the little kid in you who would be so proud of how far you’ve come and who you’ve become.

rmemmolo2024_1 — 2024-05-20 17:27:41 UTC