Mental health for athletes is a conversation that’s continuing to progress with plenty of attention and action being taken to solidify its importance. We see many teams bringing in psychologists, performance coaches, and mindfulness experts. These are awesome steps that are light years ahead of where we were even just a few short years ago, when “toughen up” and “get over it” were preached at all levels. Still, in professional sports organizations in particular, some athletes hesitate to seek help from within the team.
In my work with athletes over the years, one of the benefits for them is that I’m not affiliated with their team. It’s not that I’m opposed to working directly with teams–I actually do workshops and training for teams–but for many athletes, they prefer to keep their mental health and mindset development private. For that reason, they seek the help of someone who offers completely confidential support away from their employer or organization.
6 Common Reasons Why Athletes Won’t Seek Mental Health Help From Their Team
I’ve heard of many different reasons why athletes won’t participate in their team’s mental health and wellness resources. Here are some of the most common answers:
- Lack of trust. You may not feel safe being vulnerable with those who also control their playtime, scholarships, contracts, etc. The reality is that for many players, you might not trust anyone inside your organization to keep what you say confidential. You might fear that if you express vulnerability, it will get back to the coaching staff and impact your position on the team. You also may not want to deal with the questions when someone sees you visiting the team’s psychologist. Last but not least, some players say they don’t go to the team’s psychologist because they never see them around, so there is no relationship and therefore no trust.
- You’re used to figuring it out on your own. As an athlete, you’ve learned to figure out the solution to your problems on your own and so you’re not comfortable asking for help. You compartmentalize, deal with it, and move on. You may also have personal or cultural beliefs about seeking help from someone, which is often another major barrier.
- Your team only cares about performance. Maybe your team has brought in someone to help with the mental wellness, but your conversations always go back to performance, hindering your ability to really open up. Yes, performance is important, but you might feel like the relationship with the therapist is inauthentic or has an agenda. While some organizations care about you as a whole person, others may only seem to care about how you perform. Players know the difference.
- Pressure. A lot of people are counting on you, so you can only focus on performing so that you don’t let them down. You have to keep up the appearance that you are strong and can handle anything. You feel like you can’t show weakness, so it’s easier to ignore what you’re feeling or let it all out on the field or court without addressing what’s really going on.
- You don’t feel safe or heard. If you’re going to open up to someone and be vulnerable, you have to feel safe to do so. While your team may try to create a safe environment, some of their actions might send a different message, and therefore, you don’t feel comfortable opening up to them. You also may have been shut down or dismissed before (either with your current team or a previous team), so you don’t feel validated or like your needs or concerns are really being heard.
- Turnover. Another issue is that the turnover of coaching, staff, and players is typically high. It’s hard to trust a space where you feel like you can’t ever fully settle into it.
Obviously, these are just some common and very broad examples, but they do echo some of the sentiments I’ve heard over the years.
What else can we do to support athletes?
I am asked this question a lot. There are many team leaders who want to support the athletes on their team but don’t know where to start. They don’t know how to fit it into the culture, and quite frankly, an already packed schedule.
This is the thing: A safe space is a consistent space. Players understand that locker rooms aren’t a therapist’s office, especially at the higher levels. However, at the same time, they can absolutely sense the energy of the environment telling them that they matter as a human, or if they’re simply just a part of the business model.
Here are some ways to support athletes’ mental health and mental performance:
Peer Support vs. Institutional Support
While institutional support is great and absolutely necessary, peer support is often overlooked. For many athletes, it’s easier to vent to a teammate in the locker room than to open up to a coach, athletic trainer, or team psychologist. One solution is to create a peer support group like the Georgia Bulldogs Skull Sessions. This isn’t to say institutional support isn’t valuable, but trust has to be built, not assumed, and peer groups are an amazing way of facilitating the best of both worlds.
Mental Health Resources Athletes Actually Use
When athletes do seek help, many look outside the system because it feels safer, more relatable, and in their control. Some examples of these spaces are:
- Private therapists or counselors who aren’t connected to the team.
- Mental performance coaches who understand the competitive mindset may offer a more comfortable environment for an athlete who is afraid of the idea of speaking to a therapist. (*This isn’t to say that coaches are the same as therapists; they are not licensed mental health professionals, which is sometimes required for a higher level of care.)
- Online support spaces like group chats, mental health apps, or communities made by athletes, for athletes.
What Coaches and Staff Can Do Differently
As a coach or a staff member, if you want your players to open up, you have to change the environment first. As stated above, a safe place is a consistent place.
Here are some tips for getting started:
- Lead by example. If you share your own mental wellness practices or struggles, it signals safety.
- Normalize mental skills like you do physical ones. Talk about mindset, regulation, and recovery as often as reps and drills.
Separate support from performance evaluation. Let athletes know mental health conversations won’t affect their standing. - Offer anonymous ways to ask for help. Whether it’s a third-party mental health check-in app, or third-party referrals, give them options.
- Bring in outside experts. Sometimes a neutral voice makes all the difference.
- Sharpen your skills. Invest in programs that teach you how to support athlete mental wellness. For example, our CLARITY Method Program is a one-on-one training program designed to teach you six mindset strategies in six weeks to help you talk about mental health, motivation, and performance with confidence.
Changing the Game — One Conversation at a Time
I primarily work one-on-one with athletes who want to strengthen their mindset, manage pressure, and feel more in control of their emotions, on and off the field. All conversations are confidential. I’m so big on this that I include a confidentiality clause in your coaching agreement with me. Whether you’re navigating transition, focus, confidence, burnout, life changes, or plagued by a mental block, you’re not meant to do it alone.
As an added resource, I also offer peer support groups and mental training community circles. These are safe spaces where you can connect with others who understand the mental side of the game and aren’t afraid to talk about it.
For teams, coaches, or organizations ready to shift the culture around mental health and performance, we offer workshops and programs to create an environment where athletes can thrive.
If you’re ready to strengthen your inner game or bring this work to your team, let’s connect.