A Reflection on the Toxicity of Sport Culture on Athletes Mental Health

A Reflection on the Toxicity of Sport Culture on Athletes Mental Health

As a football player, the video on the toxicity of sports culture hit incredibly close to home. The speaker’s points resonated deeply with the pressures and expectations I have faced in football, shedding light on the detrimental effects these can have on an athlete’s mental well-being. In football, the archetype of a champion is often synonymous with traits like unyielding strength, fearlessness, and relentless aggression (TEDx Talks, 2019). Growing up in this culture, I have internalized the belief that displaying vulnerability or emotions is a sign of weakness, a deviation from the qualities expected of a champion on the field. Admitting to feeling scared, lost, or nervous is frowned upon and seen as an indication of failure rather than a testament to one’s humanity.

The emphasis on winning at all costs is pervasive. The pursuit of championships becomes an all-consuming drive, leaving little room for athletes to process their victories or even acknowledge their emotional state. Celebrations are fleeting and quickly overshadowed by the relentless chase for the next triumph (TEDx Talks, 2019). The portrayal of athletes as superhumans while denying their breakable nature struck a chord with me. We’re often idolized as heroes on the field, yet the system rarely allows us the space to acknowledge our vulnerabilities. Coaches, though well-intentioned, sometimes contribute to this toxic environment with harsh critiques and high-pressure demands.

Furthermore, the video’s spotlight on the scarcity of emotional support-seeking among athletes is a stark reality. Despite the evident toll on mental health, many athletes are conditioned to believe that seeking help is a sign of weakness, a deviation from the champion’s persona they are expected to embody (TEDx Talks, 2019). This video serves as a powerful wake-up call. It’s high time for a transformative shift in football culture—a shift that recognizes the humanity of athletes prioritizes mental health and redefines what it means to be a true champion. We need a culture that values not just the victories on the field but also every player’s emotional and mental well-being, fostering an environment where it’s okay not to be okay.

References

TEDx Talks. (2019, January 23). Toxicity of Sport Culture on Athletes’ Mental Health | Hillary Cauthen | TEDxTexasStateUniversity [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

_6coA

While we have focused on physical injuries during the vast majority of the semester, there are other areas of athlete well-being. Here in the last module of the semester, you have been provided a collection of Ted Talks discussing mental health in athletes.

A Reflection on the Toxicity of Sport Culture on Athletes Mental Health

Your last two assignments for this course will be to watch these videos and then provide a reflection on those videos through your own experiences as an athlete and/or coach. The first reflection will be on the Greater than the Game: Athletes and Mental Health. The second reflection will be the Toxicity of Sports Culture on Athletes’ Mental Health.