Meredith Hutchinson, Hannah Steven, BJ Johnson, Mir Hagans, Chloe Schaefgen
When it comes to athletes of all levels, we traditionally think of physical health as the top priority. Coaches want their players in peak physical shape at all times so that they can perform to the best of their ability–yet, many fail to think about the effects that mental health has on an athlete’s game. With collegiate sports in particular, athletes are balancing school, social life, and this time-consuming and physically draining job of playing a sport. College athletes are going through all of this while dealing with many other personal issues at such a young age. This overload of activities at the same time can cause a person to “crash,” and collegiate sports don’t take this into account. They are so focused on what the athlete can do for the college and how much money they can make that they often disregard what they can do for the athlete.