Part of the creation of No Panic Athletics was from the effects of mental abuse or student and adult athletes. Depressed and not sure how to cope with your depression? Do you find yourself having anxiety when competitive pressure is high, but you want to compete at a very high level? Do you see a teammate emotional unstable, yet you do not know how to help them?
As athletic coaches who work closely with male and female youth athletes, we have experienced a plethora of emotional highs and lows. We witnessed coaches, parents, peers and strangers berate young athletes in practices and in competition. How about the adult who puts in their blood sweat and tears to push themselves to high limits only to get torn a part by a coach or their peers? It’s far too common in collegiate and high school sports, and many of us turn a blind’s eye as if we don’t notice it. The fact of the matter is, we don’t know how to help.
At times as an athlete, they’re told to “suck it up,” or “don’t show signs of weakness.” Imagine growing up being pushed to the limit, to test your mental focus. If you’ve competed in a sport of some sort; I’m sure you’ve heard these words before all too many times. When a child makes a mistake, I’m sure you’ve seen parents or fans throw their hands in the air and complain. Realizing later that they aren’t at a professional sporting event where none of the adult athletes can hear what is said high in the stadium. In the end, who is effected mentally day in and day out? The competitor is effected and even champions break down. We forget that the athletes young and adult, are our children, someone else’s child, a colleague, another person’s family member and someone who is constantly finding a safe and caring environment to learn a sport they enjoy.
This is how No Panic Athletics began and mental health awareness is where we will rise to the occasion to give resources and assistance.
