When people think about sports injuries, they often think of sprained ankles, torn ligaments, or broken bones. But what they don’t often think about is the mental side of injuries and sports in general. Mental health is just as important as our physical health, but it often goes unnoticed.
My name is Macaylea, and I’m one of our athletic trainers at Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine, and we’re going to talk a little bit about the role that mental health plays in sports and how the athletic trainers in the area are here to support them. Mental health is trickier because it’s not something that everybody can visibly see, but it’s still just as real. Athletes of every level can experience things like stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, or fear of returning to play after an injury.
These can be sport-induced or come from other areas of life or can be a combination of all of it. Athletes often face pressure to perform well, balance school, balance work, or balance all of the above, and at the same time end up recovering from injuries, and that adds a lot to their plate. It can also get tricky when they’re trying to meet expectations from teachers, from coaches, from their teammates, and from themselves.
Over time, these pressures can take a toll on their mental well-being, and ignoring these struggles can affect not only athletic performance but also their overall quality of life. Athletic trainers play an important role in supporting an athlete’s mental health. Because we work so closely with the athletes every day, we’re often the first ones to notice any changes in mood, behavior, or any of their motivation or any other small little changes that may exist.
An athletic trainer can recognize warning signs, provide a safe and supportive environment for these conversations, and encourage athletes to seek the appropriate professional help when needed. While athletic trainers are not mental health professionals, we are trained to recognize mental health concerns, offer support, try to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, and connect athletes with those qualified mental health professionals and get them in front of the right people. We also help athletes manage the emotional side of injuries, encourage healthy coping strategies, and promote overall well-being in the athletes.
Mental health should be treated with the same importance as physical health. Asking for help is actually a sign of strength, not weakness. By working together, athletes, coaches, and all of us health care providers can create a culture where mental well-being is valued just as much as physical health.
When athletes are healthy, both mentally and physically, they are better prepared to succeed in sports and in life. Our team is grateful to be able to support the athletes in this area. Thanks for watching this video, and again, my name is Macaylea and I’m one of our athletic trainers here at Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine.
