Vulnerability in Sports
BY HANNA MOUSTAKAS '26
Catch, send. Catch, send. It’s the last ten strokes of a race. Quads screaming in agony, heart racing, sweat pooling above the brows. It is in these moments that an athlete is most vulnerable, where the only thing left to do is to trust. Trusting one another to carry the boat to the end, with each stroke a combination of self-reliance on teamwork. In crew, rowers work in close proximity in a boat on the racecourse, and complete synchronicity with teammates is crucial for having a successful race. Fast boats are not only made up of strong rowers but of rowers that work well together. This kind of trust can only be gained through extreme vulnerability, and while this vulnerability is accepted in some team environments, it can cause divides in others.
There is a major stigma surrounding vulnerability in athletics. When not talked about openly, the pressure endured in physical challenges can become serious mental health issues. According to Athletes For Hope, an organization devoted to spreading awareness about and supporting athletes’ mental well-being, “[out] of college athletes with mental health conditions, only 10% seek help.” Competitive athletes lack the necessary support to be vulnerable about their emotions because mental health is viewed as a character flaw, a predictor of poor performance. A class of ‘25 varsity rower for Bromfield Acton Boxborough said, “I’d be having a rough time, and it would be affecting my performance in the boat. But I couldn’t express what was going on to the others on the team, because I didn’t feel like it was something that was okay to share. I felt like I would be seen as weak for expressing that I was struggling with my mental health.” While some see athletes who ask for help as weak, in reality, they are strong for being brave enough to speak out, which sets an important example for other players. On sports teams, the language of being vulnerable is rarely used. Instead, one tends to hear about “pushing through,” being tough, and “never giving up.” While this language can be inspirational, if it is not infused with a counter-narrative about knowing your limits, listening to yourself, and self-acceptance, it can result in serious consequences for one’s mental health. Furthermore, as athletes become more competitive, the pressure from coaches and other teammates can increase stress levels. For example, professional swimmer, Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympic athlete in history, shared his struggle with depression and spread awareness about his experiences. In an interview with the Society for Human Resource Management, Phelps says, “[t]he hardest thing to understand is you can't just put your mental health on a timeout.” He warns that athletes’ reluctance to get help and ignore their mental struggles can lead to serious burnout and even depression. High levels of stress can lead to a lack of self-esteem and focus, which both negatively impact athletic performance as well as one’s quality of life. Additionally, within many sports there is stigma around reaching out to one’s teammates or coach about personal concerns. Emma Gregg, a high school rower and former basketball player, shared about her experience on her basketball team. According to Gregg, her club team coach fostered a highly competitive and uncommunicative team culture. She said that she was uncomfortable speaking to teammates or her coach, fearing she “would seem weak or like [she] was making excuses.” Gregg believed that this pressure and inability to talk about her stress led to decreased performance particularly in games. “Playing a game, my performance suffered because I was afraid of messing up,” Gregg shares. Without a supportive team or safe space to express her harder emotions, Gregg made the difficult decision to no longer play basketball in spite of being good at it because it was negatively affecting her well-being. Therefore, a healthy and communicative team environment can be extremely beneficial for an athlete’s mental health. Caroline Tyrrell, North Sectional and Division 1 State champion swimmer, shared her opinion on positive team culture. Tyrrell described having a very positive experience with her swimming teams, as the coaches have intentionally worked to foster openness by conducting one-on-one meetings between them and their athletes to talk about mental health and personal goals. She feels like this has allowed her to bond more easily with her teammates and make many close friendships where she knows she can talk about anything that’s on her mind. Coaches and other adults involved in athletics need to cultivate a safe environment where athletes can establish these kinds of bonds with their teammates. Furthermore, Tyrrell makes an important distinction in how being supported by teammates actually helps her perform better. She says, “[h]aving a close-knit team has helped me to succeed because I'm able to be pushed by my teammates and continue to enjoy the sport.” Being part of a team can give athletes that extra motivation to keep going when things get tough. Sometimes, it is this little encouragement that can shift an athlete’s mindset to get them through a workout. This highlights the importance of a communicative team dynamic where all athletes are thoroughly comfortable speaking to teammates and coaches about all aspects of life, and most importantly, their mental health. This kind of environment allows athletes to increase their performance and reach their highest potential on and off the “field.” So, embrace vulnerability. If you are a coach, educate yourself about mental health and well-being, as you are an important role model for each athlete. It is important to understand that vulnerability allows for athletes to grow. Work to debunk the myth that being vulnerable is a weakness. It is a strength to be able to ask for help and openly talk about mental health. Along with this, as an athlete, try to start a conversation that maybe hasn’t been started yet with your fellow teammates. Know that being an athlete is also about being able to take care of yourself and do what is needed in order to succeed. Sports are not just about the physical movement of dribbling a ball or taking strokes in a boat, it is about the emotions that can make you feel a whole new host of feelings – from extreme excitement to seriously stressed and everything in between. It’s being vulnerable that allows you to actually experience this. Even for athletes who self-train and don’t have the support of a team, being able to admit to yourself that you are struggling is a feat in itself. At the core of it, it is necessary to know when to listen to your body and mind and reach out for help. As a team, it is important to foster a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable to be open about their mental wellness, as it can increase overall team performance and culture. |