Changing the game

Although athletes everywhere are becoming increasingly vocal about the presence of mental illness in sports, the stigma prevails. Student athletes believe it is crucial that further action is taken to protect mental health, especially in the high school environment.

While increasing attention from administration in schools helps, it is essential to create an inviting environment and make students feel supported enough to talk about their issues. It is necessary to remove the negative implications that accompany discussions of mental health, as well as establish a general awareness to fully normalize the topic.

“In sports, you hear [a lot] that you have to be a man, those toxic masculinity types of things,” Bukassa said. “‘You [got to] tough it out, don’t be weak like that,’ ‘What’s wrong with you? You can’t be sad about this, man up. Do something.’ I understand that’s supposed to [make] you tougher, but sometimes if you’re [struggling with] mental illness, you’re going to need to have someone to talk to. At the time, I didn’t really understand mental illness like that. I didn’t understand that I [was struggling], too. [Mental health] was seen as a weakness, [so] that’s what I associated it with.”

Beyond overcoming the stereotype, athletes believe it is essential for coaches and administrators to understand at the end of the day, they are ordinary kids. While sports seasons inevitably come to an end, mental health continues to plague athletes’ minds. The physical and mental health of student athletes must be prioritized.

“In high school, someone might know me as being a football guy or as a wrestler,” Halter said. “But [above] that, they’ll know me [for me]. That’s what I’ve always tried to do. I’ve always tried to downplay those parts of my life, because those things won’t last. There’ll be some day where I’m old and I can’t run and I can’t wrestle or anything. It’s not going to matter then.”