According to a study at Michigan University, across 17 countries on six continents, the average person is more psychologically activated by negative content than by positive content. For years people remember bad experiences better than positive ones. This can be correlated to the relationship many athletes have with their sports.
From young ages, children are pushed into sports for the reason of making friends, learning life lessons, and growing. This is wonderful at the beginning. By playing recreational sports, they make friends and have lots of fun.
“When I first started playing softball, I was excited,” sophomore Peyton Kincaid said. “Hanging out with my friends and competing against others became a highlight of my everyday life.”
As time progresses and the athletes grow, they wish to take their sport to a more competitive level. And for some it is a wonderful moment of challenge that helps form the young person into who they are going to be for the rest of their lives. However, the unspoken side of going to the more competitive level are the effects of pushing children too far.
“I have faced the feeling of being not good enough at all or feeling like I’m doing too much and not getting recognition for it,” sophomore Ellie Rodriguez said. “Both of these feelings have caused me to feel overwhelmed and made me feel like I’ll never be able to do my best.”
Splitting time between education, high school sports, and club sports is extremely challenging. This issue can become quite pressing when athletes face consistent criticism for performance. When children grow up around the constant critique of mistakes, it’s only so long before their mental health is affected. What’s to stop them from developing a life long image of self hatred?
“I’ve walked away from situations that constantly drained me or made me question my abilities,” freshman Tara Amini said. “It’s not easy, but choosing my mental health over the pressure of playing was the best decision I could make. Sometimes leaving isn’t quitting- it’s healing.”
Teaching students ways to protect their mental health is just as important as teaching them the finesse of a sport. If students aren’t taught techniques to protect their mental state they are more likely to develop poor thinking habits.
“To keep myself out of my head while playing, I tell myself to keep playing, breathe, and one move at a time,” Amini said. “I trust my training, let go of mistakes, and remind myself that it’ll be worth it in the end.”
Usually taking time off is enough for people to recuperate and bring back the fire that inspired them to play in the first place. Other times the student needs to leave so they can find a new passion.
“I honestly think that after I’ve quit, I’ve felt like I’ve had more time to breathe and think for myself,” Rodriguez said. “Like I’m able to take my own rest days and focus more on school or being an active and social person.”
Sports are meant to teach young people life lessons. Maybe the biggest one is to make decisions for the better of yourself. Self preservation is a skill we’ve needed since the beginning of life. Why wouldn’t we still use it?
