Stanford student-athletes are not new to pressure. They face the academic stressors that come with education at elite institutions and the immense pressures that come with competing at the highest levels of collegiate athletics. This pressure highlights why it is important to support athletes’ mental health and wellbeing. Tuesday night, the 7th annual GameFACES event highlighted this challenge.
Hosted by Stanford Athletics in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, GameFACES brought student-athletes to Meyer Green to celebrate the strength of community and foster conversations about the unique challenges student-athletes face. Organizers create a space to explore shared experiences,
GameFACES hosted a panel discussion with seven students from various sports who shared personal stories describing their resilience and experiences overcoming adversity related to mental health issues. This story was received by supportive teammates, friends, and representatives from Stanford Sports Psychology, who shared additional information and resources with interested student-athletes.
Senior lightweight rower Mikayla Chen opens the evening by talking about her first few years on the farm, and how she worked hard to convince the university to reinstate the rowing team while facing her parents’ divorce. worked.
“I had to work my way back onto the team as a scouted student-athlete, but I was also basically the mother of a family 3,000 miles away,” Chen said.
Some spoke of severe personal loss and how it affected their performance on and off the field. Andrea Kitahata, a redshirt sophomore forward on the women’s soccer team, spoke about how the death of his friend and teammate Katie Meyer affected him.
“Working through the grief of losing someone who was a part of my daily life and then suddenly disappeared took away everything from me,” Kitabata said.
Initially, she wanted to keep her emotions in check. She said, “I felt the pressure on her minutes, her starting spot and her career, so all I wanted was for her to suppress her own emotions and get on the field.”
But it was only a few months later that she realized how severely affected she was. “As an athlete, you are taught to push through the pain and strengthen your muscles. It took me six months to realize that this pain was actually an indicator that I wasn’t on the right path,” Kitahata said. said.
Student-athletes also shared stories of perseverance and overcoming huge obstacles.
For Chen and senior thrower Brandi Atuatasi, the healing journey centered around faith, especially as they navigated the loss of multiple family members.
“God has given them eternal life and they will always be a part of me,” Atuasi said. “They are my source of strength and I will carry on their legacy forever.”
Some described mental health resources as playing an important role in their personal struggles. Stanford Sports Counseling helped senior diver Hunter Hollenbeck find a new sense of purpose.
“After six months of living a life I didn’t want to live, my challenge was to figure out the life I really wanted after going through all of this,” Hollenbeck said. “In that session [with Stanford Sport Psychology], I redefined who Hunter Hollenbeck is, is, and wants to be. ”
For student-athletes, Stanford Sports Psychology is one of the leading resources for mental health services and resources. Our team of psychologists provides free individual counseling to varsity athletes regarding any issues related to academics, athletics, or the athlete’s personal life.
Sophia Saunders, a junior driver on the women’s water polo team, also credits mental health resources for helping her understand and overcome depression.
“It’s hard to untangle the origins, but I know that the work of unraveling all the emotional ties in therapy is the biggest reason I am the person I am,” Sanders said.
Others described how coming out on the other side affected their lives for the better. said fifth-year rower Regan McDonnell, who made a triumphant return to rowing after long-term treatment for a neurological condition and the death of his father. He’s 16 months away from racing an NCAA boat and I can do anything. ”
Senior rower Nick Worley said he wanted to help others, especially after his own experience with anorexia. “Now I feel like sharing my story is part of my story. Part of my healing process is coupled with the possibility of helping others with their own healing process.” ,” Wohlle said.
For some student-athletes, events like GameFACES have been essential to fostering conversation and building a supportive community around mental health issues.
Former swimmer Neil Roy said in an interview with the Daily: “Apart from the resources that we have to improve our own mental health as athletes, it’s great to be able to share them in a wider community setting.” he said.
Events like GameFACES help student-athletes feel less isolated and “help them realize that they are not alone in what they are going through and that everyone is struggling in their own way. It’s essential to make sure everyone understands,” Roy said.
While participants emphasized that this is just the first step in their efforts to support the mental health of all student-athletes, GameFACES is asking the Stanford athletics community for resources and to share their stories. , provided a positive opportunity to provide support to others.
