The importance of a support system
Check on your friends ✅️
Check on your teammates ✅️
Check on your family ✅️
Check on your coach ✅️
There are so many battles that people are going through that we may never hear about or fully understand. The fact that mental health isn't a major topic in sports still amazes me. Players are put under pressure the second they step onto the field. It usually is an outside influence that adds this unnecessary feeling to young players. How do we manage it?
Teaching life lessons throughout is part of this process. We must learn how to manage certain moments that we are put in. Pressure will always be a part of anything we do in life. When it comes to sports, it is turned up a bit because it comes along with the passion we have for the game. We have the ability to change a supporter's mood in an instance, either with success or failure. Which adds to the pressure we are dealing with. Having a strong culture is crucial to having positivity within your system. Making sure players understand that it is ok to make mistakes and that the focus is actually on the reaction and the growth. There will always be outside influcences that still have a say in how you "should" feel and tell you about yourself. Whether that is coming from parents, teammates with a negative mentality, or yourself. Mental health is such an important topic these days that still isn't spoken about enough. Life is a tough journey, but players must understand that they are not in this alone. Hopefully, you have a coach who is supporting you and creating a positive environment for you to play in. We have things we must accomplish still, and we must be able to do it together. Check on one another, especially those who are in your bubble. This is much more than just a sport. Take a step back and understand why you really enjoy what you are doing.
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