We Are All Part of the Statistic
Mental health concerns can impact 1 in 4 people. Approximately 33% of all college athletes experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. Of which, eating disorders are experienced by 62% of female athletes and 33% of male athletes at some point in their lives. Thirteen percent of the athlete population experiences symptoms of trauma. Alcohol and substance use disorders make up 11.4% of mental health issues in athletes.
And the list goes on… Of the athlete percentage experiencing mental health issues, only 11% of athletes seek professional help. We are here to help and to change this statistic!
What is Mental Fitness?
Mental fitness is when you feel on top of your game, you are able to focus to a point of producing success in practice, competition, and the classroom.
Mental fitness also promotes awareness when something is bothering you to the point of being unable to perform at the top of your game. This may be for a short while, or longer.
What makes an elite athlete? We are more than just athletes. Being an elite athlete requires physical training, nutrition, sleep hygiene, absence of harmful substances, healthy relationships, balance, mental skills, and much more. Mental wellness is a tool that can be utilized to reach optimum athletic performance.
In fact, a lack of mental fitness can increase the chance of injury, tiredness, and burnout. Because of this, we place mental wellness as a priority to elite performance - this means knowing when you need help, knowing how to prevent mental illness and how to keep up good mental fitness. By being proactive about all aspects of your health, you will be enhancing your quality of training and performance as a fierce competitor and as a competitive team.