There are a lot of mental health issues for student athletes that don’t get talked about enough. There are so many different feelings and experiences that student athletes go through, like anxiety, depression, burnouts, and many more. A lot of the pressure comes from wanting to excel in your sport and in school so you can play that sport. In school and sports there is a lot of stress with doing it all.

“As the season progresses and as school progresses they both kind of become more challenging,” said  sophomore Gianna DiLoreto.

As both become challenging, it can be very hard to find that time for yourself which is very important in mental health and avoiding a ‘burnout’. A burnout can look different for everyone and everyone has a different idea of what one is.

“It’s kind of how it sounds, you’re burnt out,” said DiLoreto.

Burnouts can be very hard for athletes because you just feel like you can’t handle what’s going on and you don’t know what to do. This makes it very hard to bounce back from those experiences. Most athletes base their mental health on how they are doing in their sport which can be very harmful and cause a lot of ups and downs

 “It benefits when you do good but when you do bad when you do bad it’s hard and seems like there’s a lot of failure in your life,” said DiLoreto.

This makes it very hard to understand your emotions and how to deal with them. There are many ways to deal with the stresses of school and athletics, but the most important by far is balance. Balance helps you stay focused on what you need to do so you don’t get too overwhelmed with all that is happening.

“You have to really find that balance between getting your homework done and putting time into your sport as well,” said DiLoreto.

It can be very hard to figure out the right way to deal with all of your stresses but if you find the right ratio, it can be better for you and your mental health.

Other ways to deal with stress are to plan out your week and what you need to get done and by when. This is so that you stay on top of all your work while still making time for your sport and then time for yourself.

Making time for yourself is very important for mental health. If you don’t leave time for yourself you will run out of the energy to deal with everything going on in school, sports, and your life outside of those.

If you are dealing with mental health issues and you are feeling overwhelmed, talk to a coach, a teacher, a parent, or friend who you think will benefit you and help yourself before things become too much.