Hi everyone, welcome back to my blog! Today we are going to talk all about high school sports. I have shared my personal story, and now it is time to talk about other people’s experiences.
Meet Sophie! Sophie started playing high school basketball to help distract her from her anxiety. Unfortunately, her anxiety worsened from playing on her high school team.
It was a normal game day, and the school was recording her game to post on the school’s website. She went to watch the video, and it was not what she was expecting. In the background of the recording, she could hear team members and their parents saying hurtful things about Sophie. This was just the start of the bullying. Several weeks later, Sophie suffered an injury, but she was still required to go to games and practices. Her teammates were not supportive and Sophie ultimately decided to quit basketball after this season.
Bullying is a huge reason why many athletes decide not to continue playing high school sports. A supportive team is a huge component if the team is successful. If a team can not communicate, then they will not succeed, no matter the skill level. Both Sophie and I were very shy and quiet in high school. We felt like we did not fit in with the other girls. High schoolers form clicks, and if your not a part of a click or group, you feel very left out. In my junior year of high school, I really struggled with this. I felt completely alone. I remember I would spend a lot of time by myself. On the bus, to games, I would sit by myself. I dreaded going to pasta parties because nobody talked to me. I was very close to quitting field hockey because of how lonely I felt. Sophie felt this exact same way. The constant bullying and social pressures lead Sophie to stop playing basketball.
Another issue in high school sports is coaching. There is a very high turnover rate for high school coaches. My twin sister Carley, had several different coaches in her high school running career. It is extremely difficult for athletes to adjust to a new coach, especially if they are constantly changing. Sophie also struggled with this, as her coach was not supportive. Many high school coaches have little to no training on how to help athletes with their mental health. Many athletes like Myself and Sophie, were struggling mentally and nobody did anything to help. There needs to be a change in the culture of high school sports.
Me and Sophie’s high school experience were very similar. We both experienced bullying and struggled with mental health. Coaches need to be trained in-depth about mental health. Several athletes are suffering in silence because they are too afraid to talk about how they feel. We as a society need to make a change in how mental health is viewed in sports.
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