Today marks the start of the second week of university for students across the country. As frosh week activities subside and class work and assigned readings ramp up, students will start to feel the grind of university studies. Being a university student on its own is a huge challenge and burden. There is the actual academic demands of course but other issues like cost, meeting new people, bigger class sizes than they are used to and in many cases having to take on part time work to pay for school. Add the challenge for those students who leave home at 18 or 19 to start university, being away from family and friends, living on their own even if it is a residence, and in the case of students from outside Quebec, coming to a province where the language and culture is completely different. All this would be a tough undertaking for anyone, but now add the extra commitments involved with being a student-athlete and the task is huge. Ironically, many of the student-athletes I have coached over the years have often said that they actually find is easier to time-manage themselves during the competitive season once classes start. They put together a routine where every task is slotted in and the chance to procrastinate is reduced. Classes also mean a reduced training schedule as what they face during training camp.
What is your perception of a university student-athlete? For some, for some, student-athletes are seen a privileged, receiving scholarships and support that only the athletes get, are entitled and receive unearned benefits because of their status, and overall popular. Of course their is a significant difference when we compare the US university sports model and the one in Canada. For the major US sports ( primarily football and basketball) these student-athletes are in many cases professional athletes going to school but that is not the case for the majority of student-athletes whether in the US or Canada. Of course in Canada, the coverage and investment of sports is no where at the same level as our southern neighbors. Football and hockey do get more coverage than the others but overall, many student-athletes go unnoticed and yet the commitment level that is required to succeed in balancing academics and sport are enormous. What many don’t often see is the undercover struggle of the student-athlete. The attitudes from professors when many classes have been missed due to practice and competition schedules, the constant demands from coaches and parents, the strain of trying to be everything to everyone and not knowing who to confide in when things get tough, and the fluctuations in self-esteem when injuries (emotional or physical) as identity has been formed primarily around sport participation. This post isn't meant to have anyone feel “badly” for student-athletes. They have a great privilege to be able to play a sport that they are likely passionate about and receive certain benefits and privilege that is not available to the general student population. However, the person behind the title of “student-athlete” can sometimes be forgotten, dismissed, and invisible. This is the person who is often hiding behind a curtain of their title and sport, and who is sometimes afraid to come out to say they are tired, depressed, anxious, and don’t know how they can go on. These are the athletes that need help, yet sometimes are hesitant to share their feelings and do not know who to reach out to. All this is sometimes made worse by the perceptions and stereotypes that people not fully familiar with university athletics have which leads to certain judgements being made. When we see student-athletes on the playing field, we need to remember that they are human beings. Athletes from any team can come a very varying background, from big cities to smaller rural areas. Most have been the best athletes among their peer groups but as they step up to another level, they might now being lower on the pecking order which can play with their self-esteem. We need to see them for the performer that they are, but also the human that is underneath their cloak of player, athlete, and teammate. The modern student-athlete is struggling because living up to the expectations around them is all consuming and exhausting with little preparation spent on how to manage academic and sport demands at a high level. The university years are a challenging time for someone not participating in sport as I mentioned above, add all the additional factors that might be happening in their lives and it can get overwhelming all the best of times. The life stages of separation and individuation are occurring, and for some, they have never been “on their own” before. Some may have struggled in academics prior to university, and now with the demands of athletic participation, they are struggling even more (though there are resources for many athletes that are assisting with this type of support). There is also body image concerns. For the average female student, they might experience dissonance when they do not meet the standards of our society prescribed thin-ideal. For athletes, there is an additional “ideal” called the “sport body ideal”. Thus, student athletes feel pressure to maintain a body type that can sometimes be ideal for their sport, but it may be opposite of the culturally prescribed thin ideal. This enhances body dissatisfaction places these athletes at an increased risk for body image disturbances and disordered eating patterns. Finally, there are also team and coach pressures. Conforming to team and coach demands can feel threatening because your team is your family, and there is little room to go against spoken (and unspoken) standards. While some pressures can be positive, other pressures can feel as though you have no control and no choices, both of which can make an athlete feel depressed, hopeless, and stuck. I am but one cog in the huge wheel of university student-athletics. I try to manage my teams and athletes prescribing to certain fundamental principles that are both consistent with my personal beliefs but withing university and Usport policy. As I enter my 16th year of coaching at university, there are a few constants I feel are important to helping student-athletes succeed. 1. Recognize the student-athlete as a HUMAN first and student-athlete second. When there are messages that you care about the person for who they are (and not how they have performed or not performed), they will be likely to compete better, stronger, and with less burnout. They will also be more likely to feel like they can share if they have struggles and get support with whatever they might be dealing with because they know others have their back and truly want what is best for them, even if this means having conversation about dropping out of sport. 2. Develop interests outside of sport. For many of the athletes I have worked with, they have spent many years perfecting their sport, investing massive amounts of time and energy to develop, refine, and excel in their sport. As more and more time is invested (from the athlete and their families), their identity has become completely immersed with their sport participation. Then, when something occurs (injury or otherwise), the athlete significantly struggles because they feel like they have lost everything. It is important to remind the athletes that there is more to live than just the sport. That playing the sport they have loved since childhood should be a compliment to their lives and not a burden. They should seek a balance with other interests so that the athlete does not feel like their world is falling apart when something happens on or off the field. In the end, the sport is a game and by definition, games should be fun. 3. Encourage your student-athlete to flex their creativity muscle. Many student-athletes feel pressure to conform to expectations about what they should major in prior to school (some of it parent-guided) and start down a path that takes them to this end goal. The problem is that their end goal is not always what they want. Start conversations early and set up opportunities (if possible) to evaluate and check out other careers that could be fulfilling even if it is different than what you want from them. Have them daydream what would be fun and lead with a “why not” attitude versus a “that won’t work” attitude. Allowing them expand their horizons and get out of their comfort levels might also actually make them better athletes. It permits them to problem solve situations as they arrive. 4. Be realistic about post athletics career reality. Many athletes often think their dream job is to be a professional player in their respective sport. The reality is that VERY FEW will actually get to this level. If not pursuing their sport as a pro, they feel they will continue to play for many years after they finish university. Not that we want to dismiss dreams, but we need to be realistic and have some back-up plans in mind as early as possible. Planning ahead will help buffer some disappointment when there could be a recognition playing at that the university could be the peak of their athletic careers and that life may take a different path once they start working. Remember, they are student-athletes. There is a reason the student comes first, the time they put into their studies with have longer lasting benefits than the sport... at least in the case of the majority. 5. Address mental health concerns. When we don’t normalize the experience of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and other mental health concerns, we are not giving them PERMISSION to talk about it either. Try to normalize the experience of going to university, playing on a team, and the reality that there can be huge pressures. If they have excessive worries, sadness, low self-worth, body image concerns, or disordered eating, IT IS OK. Just know that they can get help and people all around them truly care for their well-being (again, outside of their status as an athlete). 6. Set up systems. This is probably one of the most important parts I want to share about protecting our athletes. It is important that the student-athletes know what resources are available to them. It is important for them to know that they can reach out for help as needed and that if you don't have the answer, you will work to find it for them. Too often, an athlete feels embarrassed, doesn’t know who to talk to, or is afraid that it will “look bad” if anyone finds out they need help. This is not the sentiment we want to send and this primary message about mental health acceptance needs to come from the top. Licensed and qualified support staff should be readily available and systems should be in place to be able to take care of student-athletes, no matter how big an athletic department or university. 7. Create injury support groups. Many athletes who become injured feel depressed and anxious once they become injured, and feel very lonely and isolated from their team. IAnd within the school systems, make sure there are appropriate resources for the athletes so they know they have people they can talk to about their injuries, both during and after. Many Sport Psychologists use mental skills training that can facilitate the emotional healing of the injury that empowers the athletes, gives them tools to thrive when they feel the most out of control, and provides them with connection with others who understand. 8. Normalize and embrace mental health. When we don’t talk about mental health, adjustment, and performance pressures, we do not give our athletes permission to ACCEPT and express themselves when they struggle. This is not OK. If we are not advocating for them, who will be? Overall, the experience of the student-athlete can be an amazing one, full of excitement and success. But, we also need to remember that they are just young adults living an experience that is not common to the majority around them, who need support and are not always likely to ask for it. If we are not looking out for and taking responsibility their best interests, who will?
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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