Sometimes it can be tough to admit when you have a mental health problem. Sometimes it can be tough to admit it to yourself, let alone to others or the general public. That feeling amplifies even more when the external environment isn’t necessarily one that has historically been very supportive of mental health issues.
Welcome to the world of sports.
Sports have a unique place in society where it opens up athletes to a very nuanced kind of vulnerability. In an environment that promotes perseverance, toughness, and an ‘I’ll-do-anything-to-win’ attitude, mental health issues are inappropriately perceived as “weakness.”
On top of that, athletes are criticized in a different kind of way. While other public figures such as politicians or celebrities are often criticized for decisions they make or things that they say – in other words, things they can control – athletes are criticized for bad performance; something that they would like to change as well.
To put the issues into perspective, San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan joined the espnW Summit to give a very important take on the importance of prioritizing mental health discussions in sport.
While the conversation around mental health in sport is far from over, athletes like DeRozan, Kevin Love, and Robin Lehner continue to push the issues into the spotlight. It’s not something that will be solved overnight, but hopefully we will continue to head in the right direction.
(H/T espnW)
