PRESS

Simone Biles pulled out of the 2021 Summer Olympics due to mental health reasons and was not the first professional athlete to give voice to mental health struggles. In recent months, many high-profile athletes have published articles, documentaries, and have posted on social media sharing their experiences. Following the example of professionals, this conversation is finally beginning to happen in amateur athletics.

Oftentimes when people leave for college, they are told that it’s a time to find yourself, learn who you are, and what you want to do in life. However, as a college athlete they are told who they are and how they are supposed to feel. With that being said, I wanted to dive deeper and ask the question: how do the origins of athlete identity, meaningful relationships, and open dialogue concerning mental health impact the mental wellbeing of collegiate student-athletes? This question stemmed from my findings in my survey analysis, compelling me to ask deeper questions throughout the interviews I conducted.