Athletes are starting to speak out about mental health. One athlete named Simone Biles is stepping away from the Olympics to get help with her mental health. Another Olympic athlete, Michael Phelps a famous swimmer has been speaking and sharing stories about mental health, as well as, Tennis player Naomi Osaka who walked away from the U.S Open from a Mental health breakdown. These famous athletes have succumbed to the pressure of sports, locally so have athletes at Landrum.
“I overcome pressure by succeeding in football,” said JP. He has dreamed of playing Football in the NFL since he was 7 years old. “Football doesn’t affect my life decision,” said JP. Football has a big injury risk, including head injuries, which can affect your mental stability. Many players have suffered from concussions including JP. “It makes you feel dizzy, and you don’t know what you’re doing,” said JP.
Football is a men’s contact sport but, Lacrosse is a contact sport for men and women. One of our Lacrosse athletes here at Landrum, Lily Pahlow has been playing lacrosse for two years. “I overcome pressure in Lacrosse by playing my own game,” said Lily. Lacrosse is a contact sport which can lead to serious injuries. “I try to stay as safe as I can when I play lacrosse,” said Lily. Another danger is getting hit in the head with the ball which can seriously injure your brain.
Another grueling sport is swimming, non-contact, but hours of solitary practice. One of our swimmers at Landrum is Kate Pelot. “It is very time consuming and does not get to hang out with my school friends,” said Kate. She pushes herself very hard to be the best that she can be. “My parents actually think I practice to much,” said Kate. She loves her sport and hopes to keep working at her max capacity, and maybe go to the Olympics.
Many Athletes have been talking about mental health. People here at Landrum have been doing a pretty good job balancing sports and smarts. One thing to always do to help yourself in the long run mentally is, push yourself but don’t hurt yourself.