Dear College Sports, Hear Our Shout.
By Alana Kimball | IG: @alana.kimball
ln almost everything we do, we strive to minimize issues to maximize results. It’s a no brainer to pay for car insurance – god forbid an accident happens. Of course we’ll spend extra money to inspect a house before buying it. All these things just make sense.
What about the lives of our future? What about the group of college students standing on the edge, practically being pushed off the edge, everyday…we just assume they’ll figure it out? And suddenly when they can’t meet the pressures demanded of them, they’re simply too weak?
A collegiate student-athlete spends a majority of their life working towards a specific reality. The reality of reaching the prized title of “college athlete” – a role so glorified in our society, but that in practicality leaves some of the most anxious, stressed, perfectionistic young adults in an incredibly vulnerable position.
How have we not recognized that throwing children into the rings of the student-athlete lifestyle with no safety nets is stupid? How many suicides, demands for policies, or mental health panels is it going to take for administration and the adults in power to take power and make changes that benefit the growth of our future?
I don’t write this for pleasure, but desperation. Desperation because not only have I suffered the repercussions of a flawed system, but because when I speak about my lived experiences, almost all of my teammates nod their head in a deep understanding. I get sick to my stomach any time I know a teammate is struggling, out of fear they might fall into another lost pile of statistics. This is not an issue, but a crisis.
We should not solely be teaching student-athletes how to talk about experiences and struggles with mental health when the system is against them to begin with. Our hands are tied, voices silenced. Like clockwork, we are expected to perform everyday, in and out of the classroom, with a smile on our face and a tank full of energy. Our only option of defense is to stand huddled in a corner, hoping our words to one another is enough for all of us to stay afloat. As if a small inflatable raft can support the crushing weight of the neglected issues and feelings all of us share. This is why I beg for program implementation. I beg you to improve the system that has caused so many lives to be lost that could have been saved. I beg you to listen to the voices of the ones that are performing, day in and day out, so we can continue doing what we love. We do love it, and we need support to love it in a sustainable and healthy manner.
Lastly, from the bottom of my heart, I beg you that as a fellow human being, you can feel the pain behind my words and understand the power that your position holds. The power to normalize mental wellness, productive programs, and coaching programming nationwide. The power to take away so much avoidable pain for the student-athlete to allow them to live the life they’ve worked so hard to build. And the power to make lasting change so that when the student-athletes are thrown into the water, they can just have a life vest.
