Has your mental health ever impacted your performance or ability to play your sport? If so, how?

It takes a huge toll on your life if you make your sport your everything, which is common for student athletes. If you have a bad week of practice or a bad game or even as little as a bad practice, it could impact your mental health and just make you crawl in a hole and feel as if you are worthless and your life has no meaning. You also have identity problems if you don’t succeed which makes everything just worse in your life.

When depressed, I bring negative energy to the team which affects the whole team, as well as my personal performance—coping with mistakes is harder, talking is nonexistent, bounce back is tough.

I have found that anxiety has greatly impacted my ability to play my sport. There is a lot of pressure to perform, and at times this has deteriorated my mental health and negatively impacted my performance in my sport.

Yes, my freshman year at a difficult college. Was ready to leave after the first semester, had no motivation to do things and it felt like I had to survive every day not live every day. I had no passion to play or any motivation to get better and help team.

In running sports, it is very mental. With that said, if you are having a bad day mentally and do not try to cope with it or work towards stopping it before competition, you will most likely struggle to perform well.

Yes, being made to go to practice and athletic events is a burden and overwhelms me.

Being on antidepressants made me feel like I could not compete as well because it blunted my emotions to make me unable to run with emotion.

Yes. I get so stressed and I overthink what I’m doing for the team is right, or if the coaches know that I am capable of playing well. Sports also take the mental health away too for me to help cope with it. Very rarely does my sport give me more anxiety or depression than my day-to-day stuff.

I feel sad to come to practice every day, I just dread waking up and coming to work out.

Yes, I tend to have a lot of anxiety around my sports performance when it should be something enjoyable and an escape from everything else going on.

Yes. I was hospitalized and hence, could not play my sport. I am also not able to focus as well and put as much effort into the sport if my mental health is bad.

Felt like had no energy to practice and had crying spells during practice and games.

Yes, an eating disorder held me out of practice last year. I know now that I have it and can manage it better.

Yes, major anxiety issues while competing.

Yes. Confidence is low. Energy is low. Motivation is low.

The ability to focus has a major impact on my performance. If university is not going well, my performance in sports is not going well.

Yes, when dealing with depression or other problems you don’t play as well or come into practice focused or ready to train.

Anxiety about time can make it difficult to get to practice and be motivated.

A few times. I was mentally overwhelmed with homework, and my body was physically tired, so I couldn’t perform at practice, and I just decided to stay home to rest.

Yes. Sometimes too anxious—impacts my performance on the field.

Yes, in high school my mindset swayed depending on my athletic performance.

Freshman & sophomore year when I originally participated in cross country --> low motivation & self-esteem during practices and competitions

Algunasveces he tenido un mal día (I have had my bad days.)

Occasionally—Not being able to focus/anti-social.

Performance yes. Not achieving or applying myself in the proper ways.

It is very possible to get down on yourself, and lead you to have a decline in confidence. Also makes it really hard to start the day and get out of bed, even if you have athletic competition that day.

I have just been stressed due to classes that I am taking and the sport that I am playing because it is a lot. Studying and tests are what get me the most stressed.

Pressuring myself too much to perform at the desired level.

Yes. It has caused prolonged tiredness and exhaustion as well as an injury which removed me from practice: a concussion.

I have no mental health issues, but finding motivation and being sad is something that I do notice I struggle with.

Yes, my mental health is very good so it helps me to perform on the pitch and I’m happy.

It is hard to stay motivated at times, but other than that, no.