During the Tokyo Summer Olympics, July 2021, gymnast Simone Biles pulled herself out of several events. This decision shocked the world, gaining a wave of both praise and criticism. 

Thanks to social media, the response was magnified. Fans thanked her for her honesty and for speaking up. However, people also called her “a quitter” and “weak.”

Mental health is a battle many athletes face, especially in competitive settings. But, sadly, the discussion of mental health in athletics is often ignored or even stigmatized. 

Athletes are people, too, with their own personal lives and real issues. 

American society and sports culture has developed a “win at all costs” attitude, shaping how athletes are treated. Many know the feeling of pushing through fatigue and pain, learning to build perseverance as well as a high pain tolerance. 

Although perseverance and hard work are admirable attributes, pushing yourself past the limit of health is dangerous. 

Biles suffered from what she called the “twisties.” When gymnasts have the “twisties,” they lose control of their body as they spin and flip in the air which is very dangerous. 

The prioritization of success in sports can often put an athlete’s mental health on the back burner. The Olympics have revealed how important mental health is in athletics. However, despite the recent media coverage of brave athletes like Biles, there is still a critical stigma around mental health in sports and competition. 

Discussion around mental health is becoming increasingly common amongst athletes since Biles has opened up about her mental struggles. During the Beijing Winter Olympics, athletes like figure skater Nathan Chen and snowboarder Anna Grassar discussed their relationship with mental health. 

“Hey, we are important as people, not just as athletes,” Chen said in October, emphasizing the importance of seeing athletes for their whole being, including mind and body, not just athletic accomplishments. 

We often forget that these athletes and players are not just pawns in a game, they are real people with real emotions and struggles.

“I feel like it was a game-changer,” Gasser told the New York Times. “Simone Biles’s message was that we’re not just athletes — that we are also humans and not robots.”

“What Simone Biles did was just so strong and such a strong message for all of us, just to know that it’s OK to not be OK,” Gasser said.

The humanity of athletes often gets overlooked in the craze of sports culture. We pride ourselves on winning and being the best. This puts tremendous pressure on athletes to perform well, make their fans happy, and live up to high expectations. This can make an athlete feel like they are no longer doing the sport for themselves, but instead for others. 

“And I think that it almost set the precedent, like… I didn’t even realize that was an option, what [Biles] decided to do. And I was like, ‘Wow, that actually makes me feel a lot better about who I am as an athlete, too.’ Knowing that, you know, when it comes down to it, I can choose my destiny,” said Chen. Though sports is inevitably a social activity that involves both fans and competitors, an athlete’s mental and physical health must still take priority.

Mental health is a serious issue in athletics. Mental health issues in athletics affect athletes at all levels, elite college, high school, or otherwise.

“Mental health is a huge part of athletics,” said junior Sid Lefranc who was a competitive swimmer and now participates in kickboxing and Krav Maga. 

“Once you get to really competitive levels, this is something I felt in swimming, there’s so much pressure on you to be good and to go to the highest level you can,” Lefranc said. 

In addition to the stress of competition, there is an increase in mental health issues in all youth and young adults, not just athletes. National surveys of young people have shown startling increases in the prevalence of mental health challenges. 

There are many factors that contribute to mental health — relationships, family life, neighborhood conditions, environment, biological factors. In addition, technological advancements have overwhelmed teens and young adults with unrealistic standards. For athletes, social media is both a source of praise and judgment, which can significantly affect an athlete’s confidence and mental state. 

Essentially, the mental health of youth, especially athletes, is under attack from all sides. 

From the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, an estimated 31.9 percent of adolescents have some form of anxiety disorder. From 2009 to 2019, the proportion of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40%, 36% shared seriously considering attempting suicide.

Rates of physiological distress among young people have increased since the pandemic. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders are now more common.

As the stress and mental strain increase in youth and youth athletics, an athlete often loses passion for the sport.  

Having been a gymnast for 10 years, I learned a lot about “toughness” and pushing through pain. Sprained ankle? No biggie, just tape it and keep going. At the age of 11, I was practicing 25 hours a week while trying to get through sixth grade. 

My teammates and I were expected to be tough and not show weakness; showing emotion was not encouraged. Coaches responded to emotion with “don’t cry” or “you’re not injured, you don’t have a reason to cry.”

“When I first started swimming I just liked doing it because it was a fun thing,” Lefranc said, “But once I started getting better and going to different states to compete, it just got way less fun as more pressure built.”

We have built an environment where athletes are expected to give everything they have at all costs.

“The overall environment is just, you need to be good and you need to keep pushing yourself and give 110% all the time,” Lefranc said.

“It’s like, ‘Okay, I have this amazing athlete and their mental health is not great, so what is that going to mean for me as their coach? What does that mean for me as their coach or their teammates, especially in a team sport? Am I going to lose that player?’” Lefranc said. “So it’s less about caring about the athlete and more about, ‘is this talent going to waste.’”

“Mental toughness” or being a champion doesn’t mean risking your health to win. Strength can mean knowing your mind and your body, and following what they tell you. 

Neglecting or discouraging emotions teaches kids to internalize their anxiety. Over time that anxiety, stress, and pressure builds up and can be distressing for an athlete.

Tremendous stress is put on the success of athletes, from parents, coaches, and fans. The pressure to perform well and win for your team can put a lot of stress on athletes. 

Competition can be good, but sometimes prioritizing that toughness is overwhelming and can have dangerous consequences. 

Even if coaches do encourage you to talk about your feelings, it’s only to a certain extent. 

“Coaches are totally willing to talk to you and make sure that you’re okay, but as long as it doesn’t get in the way of your performance,” Lefranc said. They said how coaches will say, “yes, you are struggling and I’m here for you, but also you can’t take this competition off or you need to come to practice. You need to keep doing the same things. So it’s okay if you’re struggling, as long as I can’t tell you are struggling.”

Only seeing a player for their potential contributions and not as a person is unfair. An athlete is so much more than their awards.

Mental battles, stress, and anxiety differ for each person, age, sport, level of sport, etc., but one thing we can do is destigmatize the conversation around mental health. It is not something that can continue to be ignored. As mental health issues among teens increase, it is more critical than ever to have these discussions with athletes and look at the athlete as a person, not just a player.

Mental health is very much part of athletics. Taking time to improve your mental health can ensure your resilience and safety as an athlete. 

Talking about mental health is uncomfortable, but we must make it comfortable.