THE PRICE TO PLAY McLean athletes grapple with mental health issues JOSH BASS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | TANNER COERR ONLINE SPORTS EDITOR
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t’s 7:30—wake up. You’ve got a long day ahead of you: school, practice, work, studying. Do you have time for all that? Who knows, that’s a future you problem. At this point, it’s a routine. Deal with it. “Man up.” If you play sports, you’ve heard these words or some variation of them at least once. You can’t forget: not too long ago the words ‘mental health’ were foreign to the sports community. Today, they’re at the forefront. It’s been a couple months since gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the 2020 Olympic games for mental health reasons, and Americans are still split because of her decision. With certain viewers contending that she let her country down and others claiming her mental health is of higher importance, the debate has been heated. Since then, other athletes have begun to follow suit, sharing their battles with mental health related problems. With the likes of Naomi Osaka and Michael Phelps sharing their mental health stories, one thing is certain: the world has been put on notice. While it may come as a surprise to the media, the subject of mental health crises in sports is not new to athletes. Many people aspire to play sports at a high level without knowing the true nature of what it takes. What is seen on television is not always an accurate reflection of the lifestyle. This is not to say that the problem is exclusive to professional athletes. Across the world, athletes at every level struggle with mental health. At McLean, athletes often have to deal with practices that are several hours long immediately after a seven-hour school day. This complex time budgeting can push students over the edge, especially considering that Fairfax County is one of the most competitive school districts in the country.
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“The most common misconception [people have about athletes] is that they have everything all figured out,” school psychologist Carol Ann Forrest said. While game winning touchdowns, hat tricks in playoff games and amazing saves on seemingly unstoppable shots are all exciting moments full of ecstasy, viewers often never know the dedication that goes into reaching such high skill levels. And while this dedication is admirable, it often comes at the expense of academic and social successes— an extremely unhealthy lifestyle.
THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION [PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT ATHLETES] IS THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING ALL FIGURED OUT.” - CAROL ANN FORREST SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
“What’s important is that there needs to be a balance,” Forrest said. “Each individual student should learn to have a balance of academic responsibilities as well as an opportunity to develop other aspects of who they are.” With most McLean sports practices being held every day of the week, the consistency and intensity of these schedules prevent students from achieving this balance in their lives. Swimmers have it especially difficult. Practices often take place several hours before school starts, leaving swimmers
exhausted before they even start the school day. This sort of scheduling leads to unnatural sleep schedules, which can have huge repercussions for the athletes. “Throughout middle school and freshman year, I was a pretty competitive swimmer, swimming six times a week in morning practices and getting up at 3:55 a.m. every day,” senior Atticus Gore said. “[While following this schedule] I was simultaneously having mental health issues. Because of this, I ultimately had to stop swimming [that intensely].” The mental and physical aspects of sports are undeniably intertwined. Like Gore, who struggled to meet strict schedule expectations, other swimmers have felt the adverse effects of the resulting lack of sleep. “I have 100% seen my friends and fellow swimmers go down the wrong path or suffer mentally because of swimming. If you’re not fully committed you can burn out really fast. It’s sad to see my friends fall off the way they do,” senior varsity swimmer Ryan Sribar said. “Ever since I’ve been doing morning swimming, sleep has been a problem for me. I’m constantly tired and feel like I need to take naps in class. It’s apparent in every aspect of my life.” It’s easy to shrug off some of the ramifications of a lack of sleep. Taking a nap at school or experiencing fatigue can seem like negligible problems. Who hasn’t had to stay up late to study for a test once or twice? However, a consistent lack of sleep can lead to serious problems. “One night I went to bed late doing homework and had to wake up early for practice,” Sribar said. “After school and being tired all day, I was driving home from school and fell asleep behind the wheel, crashing and totaling my car.” Luckily, Sribar was not injured. But with
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