Athletes

The transition from high school to college can be stressful for any student, but athletes may experience even greater levels of stress and other health issues due to the balancing act of athletics and academics placed on them during their freshman year. For the first year freshman student athlete, these demands may at times seem overwhelming and can have effects on mental and physical health. Coming into college as a freshman there are numerous things that can stress out any student, being in an unfamiliar place, meeting new people, new classes, new teachers etc. For a student athlete take all that and add the stresses of getting injured, working around a practice and scholarly schedule, as well as maintaining good relationships with players and coaches. Also, freshman athletes are usually going from being the top athlete at their school and being the big man on campus to simply not being that anymore. That can be a tough transition for some people. There are so many causes of stress for a freshman student athlete in college. There are so many things for student athletes to do and so little time. Constantly going from thing to thing and always expected to do the best possible. Sometimes it can just be too much to take in. In addition to mental health concerns, many athletes have physical health concerns as well, such as lack of sleep, continuous tension, fatigue, and headaches. Time in particular is an important obstacle for many athletes. Many athletes including myself are stressed out simply because it can be so difficult to manage time correctly. Most of athletes feel that there is simply not enough time to combine academics and athletics and to do their best in both areas. Complicating the freshman transition for the student athlete are difficulties related to academic success. Athletes stress out about tests and examinations, preparing papers for class, missing classes because of travel, and making up missed assignments. In addition, I think many athletes find they are unprepared for academic life in college. Finally, athletes often find relationships with others quite stressful. For instance, recent findings have suggested that athletes often report problems such as negative relationships with teachers, coaches, and fellow athletes. In summary, there is a need to identify specific sources of stress that significantly affect student-athletes that may differ from those experienced by the traditional non-sport college student. This is especially true for the college freshman student-athlete who is facing multiple new challenges arising from athletic, academic and social demands. Many freshmen student-athletes are unprepared to successfully deal with these stressors, and I think there can be alternative ways to help collegiate athletes to manage it.