Mental health has become an increasingly talked about topic in the sports world. Many professional sports organizations often promote the importance of mental health. The Indianapolis Colts are a prime example of this. In 2020, the Irsay family kickstarted the “Kicking the Stigma” campaign to help raise awareness and support athletes struggling with mental health.
While such campaigns get as much recognition as they do, some of the lower-level and younger athletes can often be forgotten. Specifically concerning high school athletics, mental health problems begin in this time of adolescence.
“We as coaches — and the athletes themselves — put so much pressure on [us] to perform well,” Wapahani volleyball head coach Valorie Wells said. “They want to do well for the school and community, so they put a lot of pressure on themselves, which kids aren’t really used to.”
Since many new aspects of life come to high school students at a rapid pace, students can struggle to handle the stress, Wells said. Then, there’s the added pressure of reaching peak performance in a sport one’s been playing since childhood.
“All kids want to be the star player,” said Matt Luce, Wapahani athletic director and boys’ basketball head coach. “But the best leaders bring their kids and teammates together to help them learn a role and just enjoy being a teammate of a high school team.”
Yet, some programs are taking this challenge head-on in the way athletes are trained and how they are coached. Delta Athletic Director Tilmon Clark has that idea on his checklist when hiring a new head coach.
“When I hire a coach, I have to be able to know that coach is going to have a connection with student-athletes and have them ready to compete and want to have fun at the sport,” Clark said.
While Delta head football coach Chris Overholt was hired in 2016, the once Eagles football player wanted to incorporate ways to check on his athletes. Whether that was meals with the team or one-on-one meetings with the staff, the blue and gold are trying to find ways to make sure everyone is in a good place before stepping on the gridiron.
“We even have after-practice meetings with players where they get into position groups,” Overholt said. “We like to do a check-in with the kids and most of the players have their coaches and my personal phone number. We pride ourselves on relationships in our program.”
One of the biggest obstacles many students face is getting the mindset that there is something wrong with them if they admit to struggling mentally, Wells said. Wells encourages her players to seek help from a counselor if they feel it’s needed, as she has sought out professional help herself.
“I tell them from the beginning, ‘You come first,’” Wells said. “I make sure to tell them it’s okay to see a counselor, and I share with them that I have my issues too and that I see a counselor. It’s really about making them feel like they aren’t alone.”
A large part of the emphasis in Wapahanis’ program begins with connecting with the student-athletes off the field first. Building relationships and continuing to foster those is a crucial aspect of ensuring that students feel seen for who they are as a person, not just as a player.
“The best coaches are the ones that see the kids off the court — the ones that see them in the classroom, or in the hallway saying hi to them, or seeing them in the study hall and checking on their studies,” Luce said. “The coaches that are able to find time off the court and off the field to get to know them as a student-athlete have the most success because they’re the ones who see them every day in the hallway.”
One of the hardest things is balancing the fine line between how much energy to put toward school and how much to put toward sports, Luce said Finding that balance can be a challenge at times.
“Sports is a great way to learn about life because it’s not always easy,” Luce said. “It’s not always a rosy path. Everybody wants to win and be the best player, but it’s about going through the struggles of a long season, being unselfish and playing your role. That’s a large part of why I decided years ago to be a teacher and coach.”
It’s the same thing Wes-Del athletic director and head football coach Matt Nuckols has noticed in his time with the Warriors.
“I think that's a big piece when we start talking about how mental health is affecting some of our athletes,” Nuckols said. “We try to teach them in our games and our practices that things won't always go right — how to handle things when they do go well but also how to fight through and deal with those issues.”
With Wes-Del being one of the smaller schools in Delaware County enrollment-wise, Nuckols believes that aspect plays a big part in the process.
“Our teachers in the building pretty much have every kid that comes through here for the most part,” he said. “So those players make connections with coaches and teachers that are there for them. That's just a perk to being in a close-knit, strong community and small school like ours.”
Whether mental health becomes something that high school athletic departments embrace more in the future, the change that has occurred over the last 20 years is something current coaches and directors are happy to see.
“I'm definitely happy it is the way it is now,” Overholt said. “I think there's always the stigma, especially with boys, ‘Don't cry [and] don't share your feelings. Just be tough.’ I'm glad now it's an open mindset where kids can go talk and be vulnerable and share their feelings.
“It's important, and it's something I buy into. I know I have people that I talk to — that I can share with — and it's definitely nice having those avenues in my life.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X at @ZachCarter85. Contact David Moore via email at david.moore@bsu.edu or on X @gingninj63.
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