As a student athlete at Penn State DuBois, I can safely say that stress is very common for me and many of my teammates. Whether it be from coaching, other teammates, performance, work, school, and/or the balance of it all, high stress levels seem inevitable. Stress can induce other mental health issues that, if not handled properly, can lead to severe outcomes (Fogaca, J. L. (2021) page 1). Though stress is common for most college students, student athletes handle both similar and different kinds of stressors, as noted above, that make them a unique segment of a population. Thus, it is important to understand the necessity and implications of interventions on student athletes when it comes to their mental health.
Stress can be defined as a “particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding his or her resources and endangering his or well-being” (Gruman, J. A., et. al. (2017) page 212). In a study at the University of Wisconsin, a group of student athletes intervened to learn how coping skills and increasing social support can both improve mental health, and performance. The results were significant, as those who were in the intervention group showed improved athletic coping skills and anxiety as opposed to the control group. (Fogaca, J. L. (2021) page 1). This study is important because it brings awareness to not only the benefits of effective coping skills, but also the amount of stress and anxiety that occurs for student athletes that goes unaddressed. What I personally find interesting was that as coping skills and social support skills were taught, performance improved. For me, I was always taught that stress should be used as a motivator when playing a sport, so the results made sense in some aspects but challenged my thinking in others.
It is also important to note that coping is the way people reduce stress (Gruman, J. A., et. al. (2017) page 212), and there are both healthy and unhealthy ways of coping. Some of my teammates and fellow student athletes turn to alcohol, among other things, when dealing with stressful situations, which can induce more stress and is not a healthy way to cope. Based on the textbook, effective and healthier ways to cope are problem-focused or emotion-focused. Problem-focused, as the name goes, deals with the problem that is generating stress whereas emotion-focused focuses on minimizing or controlling the feelings of stress when situations are uncontrollable through reappraisal or finding a silver lining (Gruman, J. A., et. al. (2017) page 212). For student athletes, problem-focused coping could be used when balancing their busy schedules; breaking things down into smaller parts as opposed to looking at everything as a whole can help me pace oneself and not be overwhelmed by what is on his or her to-do list and how many practices he or she has in a week. Additionally, performance anxiety and when an athlete feels like an error they made cost the game, can lead to a lot of stress and negative self-efficacy that emotion-focused coping can address this issue. Reappraising the situation and acknowledging that it takes a whole team to lose a game can help alleviate some of the stress and weight on an athlete’s shoulders.
Social support is also important in reducing and coping healthily with stress. In terms of student athletes and team sports, social support within a team can boost a players confidence and performance (Fogaca, J. L. (2021) page 4). For example, whenever I get nervous or worried that I am going to continue to mess up after making an error, when one of my teammates encourages me and trusts that I can do my job and do it well makes me feel better and instills that others believe in me and I usually increase my performance from that moment on. Social support within a team can also happen off the field. Being an upperclassman, I know I have checked in with some of the first year teammates to make sure they are doing okay in class and with the college adjustment. This can help create a bond that shows that being a teammate is more than just about the sport itself. Moreover, having a support system outside of the team is important too. The ability to vent and communicate with those not directly involved can provide outside perspective on a situation as well as an escape since student athletes can be in close quarters at times.
Student athletes can experience high levels of stress; however with healthy coping mechanisms and the development of a support system on and off the field, both mental health and performance can improve. Because of this, I think it is important that athletic departments and teams incorporate stress reduction interventions that can help teach healthy coping methods. Utilizing support systems and taking advantage of the opportunities on campus, such as free counseling, can help in creating these healthy behaviors. On a more global scale, healthy coping and stress management is crucial for all college students and pretty much everyone. So whether it be school, a job, or sport, or an unexpected situation, learning how to cope effectively and establish a solid support network is necessary for all in order to reduce mental health issues.
References
Fogaca, J. L. (2021). Combining mental health and performance interventions: Coping and social support for student-athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 33(1), 4-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.164832
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems
Thank you for sharing your perspective as a student-athlete. It’s upsetting that you and your teammates have so many stressors put upon you. I think it’s really cool how aware you are of the mental health implications of so much stress, and openly discuss these things with your teammates — especially reaching out to younger teammates transitioning into college life. Psychology Today agrees with you. “they should implement behavioral threat assessment programs that proactively identify those at high risk of suicide and self-harm. Such programs are designed to identify red-flag behaviors and provide focused interventions and support. Schools that have such programs in existence already should look to create a specific focus on student-athletes, informed by specific expertise in this area. They should also ensure they’re following best practices, such as the utilization of multi-disciplinary teams to identify at-risk individuals. What’s more, schools must also work to foster cultures in which student-athletes—both women and men—feel like they can ask for help without penalty, repercussion, or ridicule.” (Wolf, 2022). You mention athletic departments introducing stress reduction interventions. Is that something that you as a student-athlete could push for?
Reference:
Wolf, C. R. (2022). Student Athletes Need Better Mental Health Support. Psychology Today. Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-desk-the-mental-health-lawyer/202206/student-athletes-need-better-mental-health-support
Hi fellow classmate!
Your correlations and examples on stress and coping pertaining to student-athletes is spot on. Yes, a lot of individuals turn towards bad behaviors that will leave them even more stressed or at risk for disease and illness. Another example pertaining to problem-focused coping could be that students should get all readings and school assignments done and out of the way. Early in the week, this way they can have the rest of the week to study material, practice, and have some leisure time. Another example for emotion-focused coping could potentially be leaving your problems at the door. If your stressed about school or the game, just leave your thoughts at the door and go into the game focused with a positive attitude that no matter the outcome the team and yourself will be okay. I do both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. When I find myself experiences anxiety or stress, I remind myself that no matter what the outcome is, I will be okay know I still have a wonderful social support system in my life to keep me going. Social support on the team is amazing, teams should always work as a family. Support from teammates and family members do improve performance and effort because the support boosts our self-esteem.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., and Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. SAGE.