How Student Athletes Navigate Mental Health, Pressure, and Performance
It can be hard to keep up with deadlines while still having a social life as a high school student. Student athletes navigate academic demands, college applications, jobs, and personal lives of the track, court, or field. Based on insights from student athletes and coaches at Oakland Mills, we can learn how to balance athletics with our mental well-being.
The most common challenge reported by student athletes is managing a high volume workload. Balancing daily practices, games, homework, and outside activities creates high levels of stress. Athletes like seniors Tanvi Rajagopal and Jordyn Harriston emphasize using calendars, checklists, and planners to map out assignment due dates. Sophomore Brooks Chrest advises younger athletes to tackle tasks one at a time rather than getting overwhelmed by the big picture, noting that taking things one step at a time keeps stress manageable. Athletes like junior Dallas Spearman plan specific times to focus on the golf course and reserve the rest for school assignments.
Stress levels vary widely depending on the particular sport’s demands and internal pressure. Performance anxiety and the fear of making mistakes can heavily impact mental health and performance. Athletes use specific routines to stay grounded. Listening to music before and after events is widely cited by junior Leah Carter, senior Blair Shakshar, and sophomore Jazmine Rogers as an effective way to control pregame adrenaline, decompress, and center their focus. OM football coach Coach Speake advocates for a “play the next play” approach, teaching athletes to acknowledge mistakes quickly, learn from them, and immediately pivot to the next opportunity rather than dwelling on failure. Senior Ashton Beauchamp highlights that having supportive teammates and positive reinforcement makes mistakes manageable.
While sports can cause stress, the physical effort itself can serve as a coping mechanism. Sophomore Leah Simon shares that intense workouts (like track drills) allow her to clear her head, stating that running lets her “leave all my problems on the track,” which ultimately improves her focus and motivation back in the classroom.
The relationship between coaches and athletes plays a central role in an athlete’s mental well-being. Student athletes like senior Addie Toyinbo express that while teammates often understand daily challenges, coaches sometimes push players past their limits. Toyinbo calls for broader recognition of dedicated mental health breaks or excused rest days when athletes feel overwhelmed. On the contrary, some athletes mention their coaches being understanding individuals: “I feel comfortable talking with my coach; he is young and understands a lot that we go through more easily,” said sophomore Zora Mazelev. Each coach has their own individual responsiveness in caring for their athletes. Coaches like Coach Rob, Coach Veltre, and Coach Mike focus on reading their players’ non verbal cues, meeting them where they are emotionally, offering flex time chats, and time during practices for schoolwork when stress levels are visibly high. The common challenges that are seen within athletes are dealing with confidence and overcoming self-doubt, which requires coaches to offer constructive feedback rather than criticism.
Based on athletic recommendations to promote awareness surrounding mental health, they mention publicizing the resources that exist within the school, like the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, the Grassroots Crisis Intervention, and The Maryland Crisis Hotline, so students know where to seek help without hesitation.
Being an athlete is not easy, but having, showing, and encouraging vulnerability increases awareness surrounding mental health in sports. Playing sports on top of being a student can come with many benefits, including better time management and social skills, but it is important to remember to take time for yourself, know your limits, and be kind to others and yourself.
