Players Under Pressure: The influence of college-level sports on mental health

By Chloe Adams

October 8, 2023

Conor Calderone, a Boston University men’s lacrosse team player, called his team a “close family” — one that can lean on each other for support if they sense a team member is physically or mentally struggling. For other college-level athletes who lack peer support and feel pressured to fit in with their teams, this sparks mental health discussions about the influence sports culture has on players from different colleges and universities in the United States.

Last month, Boston College suspended their swimming and diving program after learning about members' participation in hazing. Over the summer, Northwestern University’s president addressed how football players on the team were forced to engage in nudity and sexual acts that came as a result of hazing.

Jack Dougherty, a member of the baseball and snowboarding teams at BU, said younger athletes tend to feel pressured to listen to older players with seniority. He also said he heard stories about hazing happening within other colleges.

“The fear of not being welcomed to — or even kicked off of a team — can push students to do more than they’re comfortable with,” said Dougherty. 

In a 2021 well-being study that surveyed 9,808 student-athletes from both men’s and women’s sports, 41% reported to have experienced overwhelming anxiety “constantly” or “most every day,” according to a May 2022 report by the NCAA.

Dhruv Raman, a sport psychology service coordinator for the BU Department of Athletics, said college-level athletes find it difficult to break away from their team’s norms when there is pressure to succeed in a group setting.

“There’s a lot of diffusion of responsibility… There’s a sense of, ‘if nobody else is saying that this is wrong, I don’t want to be an outlier in my team,’” said Raman. “As you become a part of any sports team, I think what you want to be experiencing is a sense of belongingness.”  

Raman said the pressure to belong challenges team members to voice concerns against harmful behaviors or wrongdoings, but these issues extend beyond what happens within colleges.

“With gymnastics, we’ve learned about sexual harassment and things like that — we have these things happening at larger levels, but I think there’s this idea of ‘don’t say anything,’” he said.

Mental health is also an undertreated issue among student-athletes.

Only 10% of U.S. college athletes with identified mental health conditions seek professional help, according to a 2021 article from the American College of Sports Medicine.

Kristin Weisse, the assistant athletic director for BU’s student-athlete support services, said the pressures college-level athletes face go beyond the playing field, such as having to maintain academics and a social life. She said student-athletes must seek support when they struggle to balance life’s demands. 

“The culture that the coaching staff cultivates has a huge impact,” said Weisse. “If the coach makes the practice environment a welcoming space for openness, students feel safe to express anything.”

Weisse said it is important for players to recognize red flags that signal for them to put their mental health first.

For BU men’s lacrosse team player Conor Calderone, he said a key indicator a player is experiencing burnout is “when they stop having fun.” 

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health problems or suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for support.