Mental Health and Student-Athletes

Being a student-athlete is hard. There is an added pressure to excel both on the court and in the classroom.  Failure is just not an option.  An article, Taking Notice of the Hidden Injury by Nicole Noren, explains the struggles many student-athletes are facing.

Mental illness is becoming more common in student-athletes because of constant pressure; however, these athletes don’t know where to turn.  There is also a constant fear of sport scholarships being ripped away if they admit they are struggling or can’t keep up with the demands.  For many, it seems easier to simply keep quiet rather than seek the help that is needed.

This is what Will Heininger’s exact thoughts were as he suffered from depression.  This Michigan football player finally could not take it anymore and sought help through a trainer on staff.  After realizing he wasn’t the only one, Heininger felt less afraid and embarrassed of his depression.

The Courey family is working to remove this current stigma from mental health.  They lost their daughter Sasha Menu Courey, a former Missouri swimmer, after she died by suicide.  The Courey family wants to make a difference in the fight against the hanging stigma.

Click here to read the article and learn more about mental health and student-athletes.