Ending the stigma: Mental health in college sports

By Jacob Lev

Arizona in Focus is a podcast from Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS. Each season we dive deep into a particular topic or story to bring you stories you haven’t heard elsewhere. Check out the rest of our episodes here, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud.

Mental health is a touchy subject for many. For athletes, issues can arise from high expectations, injury, or just overall poor play. Expectations are high to perform well on a daily basis.

Giac-Thao (Alisia Tran), a psychologist at Arizona State, Gabe Bourland, the director of Sports Performance at Grand Canyon University, and TJ Vernieri, a former University of Connecticut football player, share their thoughts. All will talk about not just how to break the stigma but also how colleges are helping these student-athletes overcome the distress they might be experiencing.

In a brief statement from Tran, she mentions that these 17- and 18-year-old athletes have cardboard cutouts of their faces. Twenty years ago, that wasn’t the case. These young athletes now have sky-high expectations to perform at the standards that 30-year-old athletes face. It could be a recipe for disaster.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If you or someone you know is having trouble, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Available 24 hours a day.

About Cronkite News 4009 Articles
Cronkite News is the news division of Arizona PBS. The daily news products are produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.