College Sports and Mental Health

 By Teddy Lagerback

College athletics can play a big part in a student athlete's mental health. The pressure of performing a sport at high level plus school at the same time can be very demanding and exhausting for these athletes. Some athletes handle it better than others, but it is concerning to see how student athletes often have high stress and anxiety, as well as other personal issues due to their busy and stressful lifestyles. 

Balancing classwork with teamwork can be tough for student athletes who strive to excel at both, with one study noting it can take a toll on their mental health.

According to an NCAA Student Athlete wellbeing study, there are 1.5 to 2 times more student athletes reporting mental health concerns since before Covid-19. According to the survey from student athletes, 25 to 50% percent of college athletes reported having some form of depression or anxiety. Only about 10% of those athletes went to seek help or get medical attention. Another thing worth noting is that about 1 out of every 5 student athletes experiences some type of mental health concern. 

Coach interview.

Jake Gutwirth, a freshman on the Stonehill Hockey team said juggling athletics and academics is stressful.

“There are a lot of challenges of being on the hockey team, and balancing school and a social life at the same time. It has been a bit of an adjustment getting used to all the travel, and it being my first year of college.” He said

Gutwirth said keeping up with it all can be difficult. His mental health has been pretty good for the most part, but sometimes he gets anxiety from all the work he has to do.

“I get a little anxious from time to time, but I think that is just a part of it. I know I am lucky to have the opportunity to be a student athlete at Stonehill. I have made a lot of great memories so far this year.”

Another player on the team, Dylan Ghaemi, a senior and a goalie on the Stonehill Hockey Team, said he needed to learn how to balance his life over his college career.

He has faced some mental health problems over the years. He is a senior goalie from Buffalo, New York.

“I would be lying if I said it was smooth sailing for me everyday for all Four years. I have had times where it has been hard, and other times it has been great. Now with the experiences I have had I have learned how to handle things better and my mental health has been better.” 

Gheami said as a backup goalie it led to a whole career at Stonehill, and earlier in his career this would cause a negative mindset earlier. He said he has now embraced his role as a backup and plays to be a good teammate and enjoy time with the boys. 

“Ever since I let go of wanting to be the starter, the pressure has been off and my mental health has been much better,” Said Ghaemi.

Blake Dangos is a senior hockey player at Long Island University. He has had a unique story in college, as he has played for four different schools in four different years. Dangos said it has been a crazy four years and it was very hard mentally, but he is proud he pulled it off.

“Going through the transfer portal every year was hard and stressful. I would say my first year in the portal I was so stressed and my mental health was at an all time low. It was exhausting. Not everyone gets another chance and lucky enough I got picked up all 4 years,” said Dangos.

Dangos got cut from the team after his freshmen year from Arizona State University, then he got cut after his sophomore year at Sacred Heart, and then his junior year he played at American International College, where the team folded after the season and could no longer be a D1 hockey team. AIC could no longer afford to be a division 1 program, so they informed their players they would not be in the league anymore.

“Getting cut back to back years was so hard, I was angry and depressed after. Then my team folded after I finally found a spot. That was the worst, I thought I was done,"said Dangos. 

Luckily for Dangos, another team gave him a chance, and now he is finishing his senior year at the D1 level. Dangos said he went through a lot to get here and his mental health was not always great over the past four years as he switched teams and schools, but he is now happy to be finishing his hockey career and getting a degree. 

“Not many people can do what I did” said Dangos.

Bobby Brink, who won a national championship playing for Denver in college, said he enjoyed his three years in college. When asked about his mental health at college, he said it was the best time of his life and he remembers being pretty happy most of the time.

“I really enjoyed college, it was a lot of fun. The hardest and most stressful part was leaving a year early, It was difficult to leave all the guys.” said Brink. 

Brink said he never really had mental health problems at college, even through the pressures to perform well and school could be hard at times. 

“Everyone goes through it and it is a part of the game. It was challenging at times, but I would try and keep up with school the best I could and that always helped me stay mentally clear,” said Brink.

Brink now plays in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sean Goldsworthy, former coach of the St. Olaf, and now coach for the Minnetonka Skippers hockey team, believes that balancing school and sports can be a challenge for students.

“It is all about balance, and these young men are learning how to manage their lives. It can be tough, and it is different for everybody on how it affects them mentally,”said Goldsworthy.

Goldsworthy said his job is to push the students to be successful in both school and hockey, but to also be there for them when they need his help.

“I know how hard these kids work both on and off the ice, and it is important they all know they have my support if they need anything,” said Goldsworthy.

Overall, every athlete has a different story and different mental health status. All of the athletes go through similar challenges, and mental health problems for student athletes are more common than people think.