I also decided to join SAMs club (Student-Athlete Mentors) around this time. I went into meetings not knowing what to expect. I was scared about being judged for going, but I’m so happy I did. I would go to events, group discussions, and zoom calls where I listened to other athletes talk about their experiences.
I realized I was not alone. My stress triggers were as common as the other athletes sitting next to me. I started asking questions on how to deal with these triggers and quickly used those solutions to help myself and others.
Mental toughness – a term I learned at a young age in sports. I was taught to get up, shake it off and keep going. That mentality is great on the field, but how does that translate off the field?
I learned it was time to take care of myself off the field. Being mentally tough is great. However, I want to emphasize that athletes can be mentally tough and still get help. I am mentally tough, and I get help when I need it.
In my eyes, it seemed that athletes were expected to compartmentalize emotion for the sake of the sport, but that’s not reality. Simply, this is not reality. I have emotions, I have struggles, and I know others do too.
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