Volunteer Writer: Selem Termine II

Email: stermine@umassd.edu

Being a college athlete can feel like you’re trying to balance everything at once and not fall behind– between classes, practices, games, and, somehow, a life apart from all that, the responsibility and pressure can accumulate quickly.

But, at UMass Dartmouth, a new therapy group is trying to help student athletes deal with that pressure before it piles up.

The Student-Athlete Therapy Group, led by graduate student Christopher S. McGuire, is the first group of its kind on campus made for athletes. It is held on Thursdays from 3-4 PM in the Tripp Athletic Center, making it accessible for students to attend. Limited spots are available for this group– see their schedule later on in this piece.

While sports media is usually all about statistics, wins, and performance, mental health is an important conversation that isn’t talked about enough from both athletes and media outlets. 

“There’s a very delicate balance,” McGuire said, explaining how athletes are expected to be undividedly focused for games and practices while also keeping up with school and every other aspect of their lives. 

McGuire, who is in his third year of clinical psychology training, has worked at multiple therapy sites before, but this is his first time working with college athletes in this kind of setting. He said the group started because there was a clear need for it, and people showed interest, but actually getting athletes to consistently show up has been a completely different story.

“A lot of people say they’re interested,” he said. “But committing is harder, especially with their schedules.”

And that makes sense.

Student athletes already have packed schedules between early practices, long days of classes, games, lifts, and their personal lives. Trying to fit in something like therapy on top of that can feel like just another task on the list, even if it’s something they need. 

Additionally, there’s still a stigma, especially for men, where talking about mental health isn’t always seen as normal or comfortable.

Even though the group is still new with McGuire only having a few sessions, he still sees some patterns already starting to show. A lot of athletes deal with stress and anxiety, but not in the same way. Some get nervous before games and feel pressure on the court, while others actually feel more relaxed on the court and get more stressed about school or things going on in their personal life.

“Everyone experiences stress and anxiety,” McGuire said. “It just shows up differently depending on the person.”

This pressure doesn’t always just come from one place– it can come from coaches, teammates, families, relationships, and even the athletes themselves. McGuire shared that one student mentioned going to the group because they felt like it would make their coach happy. That kind of mindset shows how deep the expectations can go, where even taking care of yourself somehow turns into something related to athletics. 

That form of pressure isn’t unheard of either. Dan Petetsky, a former UMass Dartmouth student who played football in high school, said mental health is still something a lot of athletes don’t openly talk about, especially in men’s sports.

“A lot of guys don’t talk about it,” Petetsky said. “It’s like you’re just supposed to deal with it on your own.”

He explained that even in high school, trying to balance sports and school was already stressful, and that pressure only gets worse in college. When schoolwork, sports, and a life outside of both start stacking up, it can start to affect not just how one plays, but other elements of an athlete’s life. 

Jalyn Jose, a graduate division III athlete from UMass Dartmouth, mentioned how balancing
sports, life and academics is one of the hardest parts of being a student-athlete.

“It’s a challenge,” he said. “You’re putting in the same work, but you don’t have the same
support like tutors or mentors handed to you.”

Explaining how higher division programs often have more resources, division III athletes
are expected to figure things out on their own while keeping up with a more balanced school
orientated expectation compared to division I where sports is their main priority.

“It definitely affects your mental health,” he said. “You go through a lot, but you kind of deal
with it yourself.”

Mental health is not always something that can be easily seen, which makes it harder for schools
and teammates to fully address unless athletes speak up.

“It’s not something you can always see,” he said. “People have to say something.”

Like McGuire mentioned, there is still a stigma, especially among male athletes. Jalyn talked
about how there is pressure to always seem strong, not just for teammates but for everyone
watching.

“You always have a spotlight,” he said. “People see athletics and entertainment but don’t really
see that you’re human too.”

Talking to Jalyn showed how much athletes must deal with, as their schedule is literally packed from start to finish: class, then lifts, practice, and a meeting, all while rushing meals in between while still having to deal with schoolwork and time for themselves.

Despite the challenges, he said learning how to manage time and speak up made a difference.

“The biggest thing is time management and asking for help,” he said. “People won’t know what
you need if you don’t say anything.”

UMass Dartmouth has made an effort to make mental health more of a normal conversation. McGuire said student-athletes have mentioned things like mental health week and days off campus to promote mental health. Still, he said there’s always more that can be done, especially when it comes to making athletes feel comfortable actually using those resources.

“There are ways the school has done well in making mental health feel more accessible,” he said. “But there’s always more that can be done.”

One of the biggest challenges going forward is not just having these resources, but making them realistic for athletes to use. McGuire said some athletes benefit from the group being in the Tripp Athletic Center because it’s easily accessible, while others might prefer something separate so they can fully disconnect from sports for a bit without possibly seeing someone they know. 

Nonetheless, the Student-Athlete Therapy Group is a great first step. Giving athletes a space to talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, which isn’t something sports culture has always made easy.

I was unable to reach another Division III athlete to get greater insight into the daily balance of being a student-athlete. 

But, even without that, one thing is still clear: behind the games, statistics, and highlights, student athletes are dealing with a lot more than people see, and conversations like this are needed in making this possible.