Mental Health Challenges Faced by Athletes Pursuing the NFL

The professional sports career, particularly the NFL, is the dream of most college football players. Though this may often involve long days of training, fierce competition, and the quest for perfection, there’s also a set of mental health issues that come with it. Academics and sports are in full flow for student-athletes, and they put the brain as much at stake as the body. Here are a few of the most prevalent mental health concerns for high school athletes hoping to make the NFL. 

1. Performance Pressure

The pressure to perform is perhaps one of the worst mental health obstacles faced by college athletes. Those players are under constant scrutiny, whether getting on the starting roster, catching scouts’ attention, or handling the demands of coaches, fans, and even relatives. Fear of failure to deliver on such standards can create stress and anxiety that eventually leads to burnout. Practice, travel, and games entail such a high workload that athletes have limited rest and recovery downtime, making it hard for them to cope.

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2. Injury and Fear of Career-Ending Events

It’s physically taxing to play football, and you’re almost bound to get hurt. However, the psychological cost of such wounds is typically unnoticed. A catastrophic injury can stop an athlete from advancing without warning and result in frustration, loneliness, and even depression. The anxiety of getting injured again can negatively impact performance and mental health, creating even more fear and anxiety. 

And things get even more intense for athletes trying to make the NFL. Career-threatening injury is very possible, and anxiety, depression, and turbulence are associated with losing a lifelong dream. The injured athlete has difficulty understanding what he or she is doing and what they are supposed to do with their life since football probably occupied all of their time and was seen by them as the only possible way forward.

3. Balancing Academics and Athletics

Student-athletes should perform well at school as well. And that double demand can become unmanageable when you’re balancing an intense degree and endless football hours. Many student-athletes do not know how to manage their time properly, which results in stress, anxiety, and burnout. With so many pressures of class, practice, and games, you never get time to take care of yourself or take a breather. Furthermore, academic lagging or class dropout harms the athlete’s self-worth, adding to their psychological stress. 

4. Uncertainty of Future Career Prospects

The pro level is very competitive, and few college football players ever reach it. This fear of what lies ahead can sometimes be stressful for the student-athlete. They put a lot of time and energy into the game, but there’s no guarantee that everyone will make it to the NFL. This ambiguity could spawn anxiety around failure, as well as life outside football. Some players do not have an ideal contingency plan, which can make switching careers outside of football emotionally and physically hard. 

5. Social and Emotional Isolation

Students, particularly those aiming to become NFL players, can be isolated by crowded schedules. Busy practice, travel, and games leave little time for socialization with people outside of the football team. This makes it difficult for players to form large networks or maintain interpersonal connections outside the football world. 

Further, the desire to appear “tough” prevents athletes from sharing their emotional difficulties. This results in the suppression of their emotions, leading to increased stress, loneliness, and even depression. 

The following are 5 strategies student-athletes can employ to combat these mental health issues: 

• Request counseling from the school or team. 
• Ask your coaches about the workload to fit between school and competition. 
• Get into a community of like-minded peers who know what student-athletes are going through. 
• Practice stress reduction strategies, such as mindfulness or meditation. 
• Make reasonable goals and expectations, but allow yourself to fail. 

Prioritizing Mental Health on the Path to the NFL

There’s the allure of an NFL career, but you don’t want to forget the mental health issues that student-athletes struggle with. Competition anxiety, injury prediction, school anxiety, and social loneliness all create challenges to an athlete’s health. Through mental health education and easily accessible resources, colleges and sports teams can support student-athletes in addressing these obstacles and thriving both on and off the court. Students trying to get into the NFL should care for their body, mind, and soul. The greater the discourse around mental health, the more athletes will have access to the resources they need to compete in and outside the football field. 

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Featured Image: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images