Millions of high school athletes experience mental health struggles such as anxiety, fear of failure, burnout, or even depression from their sport.
According to a study, about 91% of high school athletes experience stress because of their sport, and the most common causes of stress were fear of failure and self-pressure, which heavily influence athletes.
Sophomore Jae Herzog commented on how self-pressure affects athletes, “Especially if you set high expectations for yourself, and you try and live up to those expectations, if you don’t meet your goal, it can cause a little bit of disappointment in yourself, even if you’re playing at a high level, you still might
feel like you failed.”
Games and sports were made to relax and be fun, but for some people, they’ve turned into pressures and anxieties. Especially when you add the aspect of schoolwork. Herzog said, “If you have a late game or practice, you might not have enough time to get your schoolwork done.”
As a kid, sports were the best part of some people’s days. They were seen as enjoyable and solely for having fun. Herzog reflected on the difference from being a kid to now, “You just found a lot more enjoyment [as a kid]. But as you get older, I feel like it starts getting more competitive to kind of start proving things.”
Another big thing that takes away from the fun aspect of sports is the pressure to perform well. Athletes have to consistently perform well, and when some athletes put their identity in sports, not performing or losing can feel amplified and only make things worse for their mental health.
Despite all of the pressure and other aspects of life, athletes find ways to make the sports fun. Herzog said, “I do my best to focus on the good things. If you let stuff get to your head too much, all the bad and negative can take a toll sometimes.”
Another big problem that arose in this generation is social media. When athletes are constantly comparing themselves to people they see on social media, that creates unrealistic expectations. Herzog shared what he does to block out the noise, “I think if you compare yourself too much to others, you kind of get a negative self-image. So you have to do your best to avoid what you’re seeing and just focus on yourself.”
