(Athletes) Athletes and Mental Challenges

 This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 14th, 2019 at 5:27 pm


I don’t know why my mom got me into sports, but I thank God she did. I loved sports; I love sports still. I can remember the smell of Saturday morning grass on the field, to this day as soon as I smell it, it harkens me back to the days of playing on teams. Soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, diving, swimming, golf, etc. I tried them all, and in each was a freedom of performance, coupled with an insecurity to perform.

Sports came easy for me, physically. Mentally, a different story. I was anxious, insecure, arrogant (in my opinion, the opposite of confident), and I was isolated in it. You did not talk about it, certainly not to other teammates…….at least I did not. I was a leader, and well, leaders did not show weakness (at least what I thought).

I believe I am a better sports parent than I was as an athlete. I want my kids to try every sport. I want them to try everything, whether sports or not, in order to find those things that they are good at and can provide a level of fulfillment. I also want them to try those things that they are not good at, that they become overwhelmed with anxiety/nerves, that they really struggle at as it is in that struggle that self-awareness and real growth flourish.

This is an interesting article both for the athletes and the parents. My biggest takeaway, as the adults we have major responsibilities to support our kids and their success……. THEIR SUCCESS.  (https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/04/teen-athletes-mental-illness/586720/)

Before my kids take the field, I have one statement to them, “HAVE FUN and play hard.” They achieve that, they will be successful.

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