By Emily Yakoobian, Assistant Sports Editor |

Athletes constantly train to strengthen their bodies, but the all-too-forgotten mental side of sports is just as important. Mental health is often overlooked in athletics, and the stigma surrounding it can make athletes hide their self-doubt and feel alone in their struggles. However, even elite athletes like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Kevin Love have spoken openly about the importance of mental health to help create a more supportive and open conversation around athletes’ mental well-being. 

Liv Todd ’28 shared that when she plays basketball, she thinks about impressing her coaches and parents and sometimes focuses too much on not making mistakes. She added, “When I’m confident, I play more freely and trust my instincts. But when my confidence drops, I second-guess myself, which usually hurts the way I play.” I have experienced this struggle in basketball as well; hesitating for even one second can lead to a blocked shot or missed opportunity. Winsor Athletic Trainer, Mr. Newell, reinforced this idea by saying, “Confidence breeds success, and success breeds confidence.” 

Todd appreciates how her club team talks about the mental side of basketball to help her maintain confidence before and during games. She has formed strategies to reset mentally instead of focusing on mistakes, such as breathing slowly, talking with teammates, and focusing on the next play because “thinking too much about mistakes just leads to more frustration.” 

Todd believes, “athletes should definitely be taught more about confidence and mental health in sports” because better support can help athletes overcome mental challenges and prevent the struggle of overthinking mistakes and second-guessing themselves.

Coaches emphasize how learning from mistakes is key to improving and feeling better after tough games. Varsity Softball coach Kallan Roys uses a strategy called “well, better, next” with the softball team: athletes first think of what went well to build confidence and what could have been better, and then they focus on the “next play” to learn from, rather than dwell on the mistake. Coach Kal finds this to be the best way for athletes to improve and maintain confidence after playing.

Injuries create major mental challenges for athletes as they are separated from their team, cannot compete, and may feel as if they are falling behind. Although many successful athletes are grateful that their injuries taught them resilience, maintaining a positive attitude can be difficult during a long recovery.

Tessa Laurans ’28 reflected on her injury before her sophomore soccer season and explained, “When I first tore my ACL, I thought the nine-month time frame seemed so daunting, and it felt like I would never get there.” She said the mental side of recovery was especially difficult because rebuilding confidence in her ability to play felt more challenging than regaining physical strength. 

Varsity Basketball coach and PE teacher Brittany Bushman shared a similar experience: “When I tore my ACL, for the first two years after I could play, it was constantly in the back of my mind.” Mr. Newell acknowledged how he sees many athletes face this struggle and explained, “If you’re afraid to get hurt, it’s going to affect how you play. That fear of injury makes you more likely to be injured if you’re not acting naturally and trying to protect something.” It is important for athletes to mentally trust their physical training in order to regain the confidence to play at full speed again. 

Mental health is just as important as physical health in sports; yet, many athletes hide their struggles. As more professional athletes break the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage open conversations about it, schools and teams can begin dedicating more time to mental health and mental training so that more and more athletes feel great mentally when they play their sport.