By: Mia Taullahu
During my soccer season, I’d typically wake up in a cold sweat at 5:00 AM for practice, fearful of having slept through the multiple alarms, after turning in a paper just before an 11:59 deadline. Then, I’d head to the trainers to prepare my body for practice. I skipped breakfast, worried nerves would empty it, only then to spend hours in a grueling practice. You see, as a team captain, I live an entire day even before my first class. For any student, the weight of college can be crushing, but what happens when you add dozens more demanding physical, emotional, and mental athletic responsibilities?
As a four-year collegiate athlete, on two different teams, I have both experienced and watched teammates barely drag themselves out of bed to attend mandatory team events and trainings; some even dread what should be the best days of the week, game days, as the sport they once loved becomes a chore. While teammates came to me as a captain to voice their concerns and look for help, I provided all the help I could while I myself was drowning. As a senior, I have now spent over a decade pushing my physical and mental health past its breaking point, using the off season to recover and question my return.
As a teammate and sports psychology intern, I have learned countless other Dominican student-athletes face the same mental struggle, with no clue on where to go or what to do, choosing to suffer in silence. Every season without fail, student-athletes at Dominican drop their sport or transfer schools. I watched as 15 of my teammates over four years quit, transfer, and even commit to our rival school down the street. When our athletic teams succeed, the campus comes alive with pride and celebration. Dominican needs to support their student-athletes by providing dedicated mental health resources.
College athletes are at risk of higher rates of stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression due to rigorous scheduling, fear about performance, immense pressure, and more. Suicide is the second most common cause of death after accidents for college athletes, warranting greater prevention efforts. In addition, suicide rates have doubled in collegiate athletes from 7.6% to 15.3% over the past 20 years (Whelan et al., 2024).
Furthermore, athletes are not allowed to receive a scholarship based on athletic performance at D3 institutions and may have to work on top of being a student-athlete, increasing the risk for burnout and stress. Student-athletes may struggle with coaching, teammates, academics, and pressure without any trusting person to turn to, and are not being taught preventative techniques to fight against the stressors that student-athletes face daily. Supporting student-athletes can start by hiring a licensed sports psychologist to do mental resilience and training with athletes.
A licensed sports psychologist would be able to connect and work with athletes consistently throughout the school year. Yearly screenings may also flag potential distress and allow a trained professional to act accordingly. The sports psychologist would run sessions with independent teams and even players if necessary, aiding the mental and physical recovery of injured athletes. They may also point the athletes towards resources they need academically, financially, or emotionally, and be a point of communication if there are difficulties between professors and student-athletes requesting reasonable accommodations. They would work under the Dean of Students, not directly reporting to the Athletic Director to minimize interference, as student-athletes may discuss concerns within the department to the sports psychologist, providing a safe space and protection for the athletes to voice their issues. Student-athletes would also be set up for long term success by learning positive self-talk methods, relaxation methods, time management, and having a support system outside their direct team.
When student-athletes don’t receive support, their grades decline along with their mental and physical health. The addition of a sports psychologist working with each Dominican athletics team would enhance performance, increase student-athletes access to resources, and support student-athletes mental health. If student well-being is truly a priority, University leadership has a clear responsibility to provide this essential support.
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