Mental Health and Sport

Written by Amber Bond, NCC, LCPC, PMH-C

Mental health was a common topic of conversation at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In gymnastics we saw men’s competitor Sam Mikulak speak openly prior to the games about the adverse effects of mental health stressors on performance. Women’s gymnast, Simone Biles withdrew from events when her mental health made it unsafe for her to compete. Former Olympian, Michael Phelps, shared details of his road to recovery after substance abuse and mental health struggles. Tennis great, Naomi Osaka made headlines prior to the Olympics for withdrawing from play due to the stress caused by mandatory interviews with the media.

We are days and weeks away from the beginning of the school year and an athletic season that looks much closer to normal than before. Athletes may experience excitement or new struggles with getting to competition. Or perhaps a combination of both! The national dialogue about the Olympics is a great opportunity to foster a dialogue with children, teens, and young adults about sports, physical fitness, and mental health. Or even a combination of both. Here are some ideas for ways to kick off a conversation with the children you teach, coach, mentor, or parent:

• I care about your wellbeing on and off the court (pitch, field, mat, rink, etc). Do you ever feel like the pressure of sport makes it hard to do things in the rest of your life?
• You’ve been working hard at (sport) for a long time. Is it still fun? What do you love about it? Are there parts that you don’t like so much?
• Did you hear about Simone Biles stepping away from competition so she wouldn’t get hurt while attending to her mental health? What do you think about that?
• I am so proud of how hard you have worked at your sport. What motivates you to work so hard?
• Is there anything you wish I/your coach/your teammates/etc. knew about you or how you feel?

As a mental health provider, I am so grateful to Olympic athletes for sharing their stories as I know they will encourage others to attend to their mental wellbeing and de-stigmatize mental health struggles. This is also a great opportunity to foster a dialogue with children, teens, and young adults about sports, physical fitness, and mental health.