As spring ball practices ramp up at San Diego Mesa College, football players face increasing pressures that challenge their mental health amid the demands of athletics and academics.
Specifically looking at football players at San Diego Mesa College and the start of their spring ball practices, the days get longer and the demand is higher in terms of the conditions they train under.
“It’s stressful— you’re worried about living up to those standards,” said freshman slot receiver Troy Bassler.
Trying to stay consistent with mental health through challenging times while in college, they do their best to take the time to unwind, destress, and really hone in on their own mental health. When talking with Bassler he said that “everyday I’m either in a hot tub or icing something.” As some people know, cold and heat treatment helps aid recovery in muscles.
Some of the players have to balance their schedules completely around football. What does that look like?
They have practice from 2:20 until around 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. That means they need to schedule classes that are before practice or online, schedule work for after practices, making sure they stay up later to do homework, waking up early to get to class and repeating the same cycle every day for a whole year.
“Kinda always pushing yourself,” said Bassler
All these factors play into the role that affects the mental health in these athletes. The biggest trend is that these men are all so engraved in the lifestyle of what it takes to be a football player, that they barely get time to themselves.
To maintain their positive mental health these men on the football team prioritize self-care routines and engage in supportive relationships. Mindful practices such as stretching, meditation, and low intensity exercise are just a few steps that allow these men to unwind and relax. The bonds they build amongst themselves as teammates and peers pay dividends when the go and gets tough they know they can lean on and trust one another.
“Spring ball has always given me a comfortable room to maintain my mental health. Although after high school, that “comfort room” changed,” said freshman slot receiver Javon Jordan.
The stress of having this expectation set on you showing up everyday, doing the right things, having good grades, taking care of your body, studying plays and the list goes on and on. All of it is based on performance which in turn is used as a tool to help these athletes get better but also weighs on their overall mental health and ability to perform.