Last updated: September 25, 2026

I first wrote this article in 2020 after the passing of a young high school football player in Florida who was set to enroll at Georgia Tech on a football scholarship. His death was ruled a suicide. Some of his surviving loved ones pointed their fingers at the immense pressure that he felt. We will never really know what made him take his life, but it’s a tragedy that speaks volumes about what’s happening in our society. While I don’t want to reduce his passing, and the passing of others by suicide, to a single explanation, the crisis is vast.

At the time I first published this article, I wanted more people to ask how student-athletes were doing beyond their sport. That question still matters. Since I wrote this article, newer research has given us a clearer picture of suicide among college athletes and the gaps that can make it harder for them to get help.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 988. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

What recent research tells us about suicide among college athletes

In 2020, the most recent study of NCAA athlete deaths from 2003 to 2012, at the time, found that suicide was the third most common cause of death among the college athletes studied. We now have a wider view.

A 2024 study that examined NCAA athlete deaths over 20 years identified 128 deaths by suicide between 2002 and 2022. During the second decade of that study, suicide was the second most common cause of death, after accidents. The share of recorded deaths attributed to suicide rose from 7.6% in the first decade to 15.3% in the second. It’s importnat to be clear here that those figures describe the deaths recorded in the study; they do not mean that 15.3% of college athletes died by suicide.

It should be noted that the figures above concern NCAA college athletes. Research on younger athletes helps us understand a different part of the picture. In a 2023 survey of 200 high school athletes ages 16 and 17, fear of failure, academics, and the expectations athletes placed on themselves were common sources of sports-related stress. Among those reporting moderate to extreme stress, about 27% said they wanted help from a medical professional but had not received it. What this shows is another indication of why athletic programs need to take suicide prevention seriously.

Why student-athletes may struggle to ask for help

A more recent 2026 study of 78 NCAA student-athletes asked about suicidal thoughts, where athletes would seek help, and their experience with suicide prevention training.

Nearly 40% of the athletes surveyed reported having experienced suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives, while about 36% said they had received suicide prevention training in college.

The study also asked whom athletes would turn to for help. Their answers included:

• Mental health professionals
• Campus counseling centers
• Coaches
• Athletic trainers

Interestingly enough, I’ve been told on multiple occasions that if a coach or staff member wants to know what’s going on with a player, they go to the athletic trainers.

That raises a practical question for every athletic program: if an athlete approaches someone on staff, does that person know how to respond and connect them with qualified care? An athlete should not have to figure out the next step alone after finding the courage to speak up.

What athletic programs need to be ready to do

The NCAA’s Mental Health Best Practices took effect in August 2024. They call for NCAA schools to screen athletes for psychological distress at least once a year and have written, rehearsed plans for routine mental health referrals and emergencies. Formal evaluation and treatment must be provided by appropriately licensed professionals. These requirements apply to NCAA schools; high schools have their own procedures and resources.

A plan has to make sense to the people who may need to use it. If an athlete tells a coach or trainer that they are struggling, does that person know whom to contact? Does the athlete know how to reach help outside practice hours? What happens after the first conversation? Those are questions worth asking before someone is in crisis.

What’s behind student-athlete mental health issues?

There is no single explanation for suicide, and we cannot know everything that led to an individual athlete’s death. Pressure to perform may be part of what someone is experiencing, but so may problems that have little to do with sport.

A 2025 review of research on college student-athlete suicide identifies academic and athletic demands, injury, team culture, athlete identity, and difficulty accessing care as concerns worth addressing. In the NCAA’s student-athlete wellness survey, athletes also named academics, plans for the future, and finances among the stressors affecting their mental health.

“Athletes at a high level are driven at a high level, and that sort of high expectation can lead to a really low tolerance for failure. And someone who may not have the maturity to deal with that sort of paradox split between their expectation and what they are actually doing, they may have that sort of negative thinking sort of final thought of I’m going to give up completely.”

Bruce Conn, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Coliseum Medical Centers

But that’s not all. Some athletes feel driven to succeed out of a need to provide for their family because it’s what is expected of them. Others are trying to follow in the family line of athletes. Some are trying to pave their way out of financial struggle. Many don’t want to disappoint their parents. Some feel like they have been training their whole life for their sport and so they have to perform well so as to not disappoint anyone.

There are so many different scenarios. For many athletes, their whole world is their sport and all of the expectations that includes. So, things like social media, highlight reels, playing time, star ratings, etc. tremendously impact their psyche. Then there are the athletes who are facing the fact that their athletic career is coming to an end, and they have no real plan for what’s next.

How we can check in with an athlete

We cannot tell how someone is doing from a good game, a scholarship offer, or an upbeat post. Checking in means making room to hear an answer that may have nothing to do with sport.

A parent, coach, or teammate might start with, “How are things going for you outside practice?” or “You haven’t seemed like yourself lately. What’s been going on?” Then listen. If someone talks about feeling hopeless or says something that makes you worry about their safety, ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide. 988’s guidance for helping someone else recommends taking the concern seriously and connecting the person with crisis support.

The conversation does not need to be perfect. What matters is that the athlete is heard and helped to reach the right person. A coach, parent, teammate, or mental wellness coach can be part of that connection. Suicide risk assessment and treatment belong with qualified mental health professionals.

If you are the athlete reading this, you can tell someone plainly: “I’m struggling, and I need help.” You do not have to wait until you can explain everything. Tell a trusted adult, contact a licensed mental health professional, or call or text 988. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

How can we help out student-athletes’ mental health?

This isn’t just a program problem. This is a community problem. It’s an environment problem.

We have to make the conversation okay. We have to ask questions. We can’t assume they are doing well and thriving just because they are performing well in their sport. We have to talk even when we don’t think they are listening.

Try asking your student-athlete questions like:

• How are you feeling today? Mentally? Emotionally? Physically? Spiritually?
• What’s going on at home?
• What’s going on at school?
• What’s going on with your friends?
• If you could get help with one thing outside of your sport, what would that be?

We have to let these students know that we have their back, and the experience to know that things will be okay. We have to guide them to understand this in ways that make sense to them. We have to address them as individuals.

If you’re struggling, I want you to know that challenges are inevitable but all roads point somewhere important. I know first hand that resiliency doesn’t always come easy. I also know from experience that sticking through it and committing to getting through the things that seem insurmountable is always, always worth it. It’s more than possible to come out on the other side and thrive. Even when things appear to be hopeless, just hang on. Your story has an entire lifetime to unfold and to be told. Plot twists are inevitable. Happiness always follows pain. It will always be okay. Just breathe and trust that the clouds will lift. And most importantly, reach out for help. Your life is always worth it. Always choose life.

Looking for ongoing support for a student-athlete?

If your student-athlete is dealing with stress, overthinking, or confidence concerns, we can talk about what they’re experiencing and whether coaching would be a good fit. Book a free 15-minute consultation with me to discuss a possible next step.

Coaching is not crisis care or a substitute for mental health treatment. If someone is thinking about suicide, call or text 988. If there is immediate danger, call 911.