From the outsiders, sports players seem like they’re full of confidence, power, and toughness. The wins, highlight clips, rankings, and exposure. It seems like it’s all about who’s next, who’s the No.1 man or woman, who’s getting the great offers. Realistically, behind all of that stuff, there’s a side that doesn’t get talked about enough until a tragedy happens, the ‘mental side’. The weight of consequences. The pressure. The quiet battles that a lot of athletes are fighting every single day.
I’ve personally seen it up close.
As a coach who coached on the high school and college level, I’ve watched athletes carry expectations that most adults wouldn’t handle at all. Stress from social media. Stress from parents. Stress from coaches. Stress from themselves. At some point in time, they start believing their value in life is rooted in their performance.
That’s a dangerous ground to stand on.
Because what happens when the shots stop falling? When do the college offers not come? When a major injury takes their game away? For a lot of athletes, their identity is rooted in the sport they play and when things go wrong, they completely lose themselves.
I’ve witnessed depression in athletes. I’ve seen these kids shut down completely because they’re mentally drained but don’t speak up because if they do, they believe they are soft and letting down their loved ones.
👉 If you want a deeper look into this, check out The Overlooked Battle of Mental Health with High School Student-Athletes.
And if we’re being 100, this world system doesn’t deeply help.
Stuck on the Bench When You Know You’re Better: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Athlete Navigate the Hardest Part of Youth Sports
You see, people tell athletes to “push through,” to “stop being soft,” to “lock in.” But do you give them room to process what they’re feeling? Start teaching them how to handle failure, fear, or doubt in a healthy way so they will not become a real victim of failure, fear, or doubt.
Mental health isn’t weakness!
For me personally, this isn’t just something I’ve observed—it’s something I’ve had to battle in my life. There have been moments where the weight of life felt extremely heavy. Moments where expectations, responsibilities, and everything that comes with being a human started to accumulate.
And in those moments, I had to figure out what my foundation is!
Because if your foundation is only built on success that’s quicksand, it’s not going to hold when adversity hits.
That’s where my faith in Jesus Christ comes in.
👉 Situations like this show how serious athlete health can get—read more in Tua Tagovailoa’s Concussion Setback: What We Know and What Happens Next.
The One Thing Killing Your Kid’s Recruiting Chances That Nobody Talks About: Being a Bad Teammate
My hope isn’t in wins, championships, money, or being famous. It’s not in how things look on the outside. My hope is in Jesus Christ. And that’s not just something I speak—it’s something I’ve had to live by!
Faith in Jesus, for me, brings a true outlook on life. Jesus reminds me that my identity isn’t tied to performance. He reminds me that even when things don’t go the way I planned, His purpose is greater! He is peace, even in the middle of chaos!
That doesn’t mean everything goes well on my timing. It doesn’t mean the pressure will disappear quickly. I believe more athletes need Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
We have to start doing a better job as a sports community.
Coaches, you need to check in beyond performance. Not just “How are you playing?” but “How are you doing?” Parents, you need to create environments where your kids feel comfortable expressing their hearts. Teammates, you need to look out for each other, not just on the court/field but away from it too.
Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body.
If we want to truly develop players—not just highlight clips, not just recruiting, but as real people as they are—we have to address this side with passion every day, not just when someone commits suicide. Because mental health is connected to everything!
At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to produce great athletes. It’s to help build strong, grounded people who can handle life, not just the sport.
That’s the conversation we need to keep having every single day. And for me, I’ll keep pointing back to what’s kept me grounded through it all—my faith, my purpose, and my hope in Jesus Christ.
