PITTSBURGH — Student athletes have a lot on their plates.
From balancing school with games and practices, the pressure to perform can take a toll on their mental health.
On Wednesday, educators from across the region attended a Mental Health and Student Athletes symposium. The annual event at PPG Paints Arena is shining a light on what is known as the “invisible injury.”
“I think mental health with athletes is something that, for a long time, we didn’t really pay attention to too much,” said John Neff, who coaches track and field at North Allegheny High School. “Now, we’re starting to see that it is something you have to pay attention to, and if you’re not, it would be like ignoring a whole aspect of training.”
From the professional ranks down to the youngest athletes, mental health in sports is more in focus now than ever before, but experts say there is still plenty of room to grow.
“I think it can be really intimidating and daunting for a non-mental health professional to address mental health concerns,” UPMC psychiatrist Dr. Robin Valpey said.
Valpey was a speaker at Wednesday’s event, focusing on how those closest to kids can help them through mental health challenges.
“I think sometimes taking a step back and realizing you don’t have to fix it, you just have to be with them through it and let them know that you’re there,” she said. “That first step of noticing and naming and connecting is really what matters.”
They are skills that can be even more useful as youth sports become more competitive and with increasing stakes during college recruiting.
Neff sees the toll it can take.
“We always talk about how dangerous it is to compare, but then at the same time here’s a list of who threw the farthest and who ran the fastest,” Neff said. “If an adult in a kid’s life is able to recognize when a kid needs more, then that kid’s in better shape.”
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