Throughout COVID-19, athletes across the United States have been prevented from playing the sports that they love. As a result, athletes can have trouble staying away from their sports or, even worse, experience mental illness or toughness from remaining inside. Now, you may be thinking why would an individual’s mental health be negatively affected by not playing a sport? This is solely due to the extreme dedication and time that athletes put into their respective sports to improve at their game. Because they cannot utilize their time in their usual ways, athletes are struggling with finding other ways to fill up their days, and it is severely affecting their mental health.
Why are Sports Neurologically Significant
Sports are known as a coping mechanism to help relieve stress, anxiety, and tough times in an athlete’s life. Whenever an athlete is in a sports game, it is shown that they can concentrate on only the game at hand, and subside everything else going on in their heads. Specifically, athletes build their concentration through training, and as they train more and more, they will become more prone and focused on the game. Many athletes also plan to expect the unexpected, including practicing with intentional distractions to avoid losing their focus during big matches. An example of this is Tiger Woods, who as a kid would practice his golf swings while his father jingled keys or dropped coins to make noise. From all this, athletes can take a break from their stress and concentrate on the tasks that they had been intensely training for. Without the ability to play a sport to put away their stresses, an athlete’s potential anxious and nervous feelings could be at their peak.
On a more technical level, COVID-19 directly suppresses the neuroendocrine-immune system, which is closely associated with stress, stress resilience, and coping strategies. Additionally, periods of inactivity, isolation from teammates, and distance from coaches, and social support can also cause emotional distress and psychological disorders in athletes. The financial aspect of professional athletics is also crucial, as, without a steady income, the virus creates a higher level of stress towards all athletes. Furthermore, athletes play the game to earn the gratification of receiving their hard-earned paycheck. Without this, the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens, which are related in terms of delayed gratification, are inhibited, which negatively affects the feelings of the athlete. So, the government and respective professional leagues need to find solutions to the physical and financial problems with athletes, as the effect of COVID-19 on athletes can prove to be detrimental in the long run.
COVID-19 Impacts All Kinds of Athletes
The timing of COVID-19 affects different athletes psychologically, depending on their age. For instance, a senior in high school or college will feel differently about the situation than a professional athlete, who is guaranteed a season the following year. The feeling of not being able to complete something without being given a chance is devastating and will directly affect the teenager’s brain for countless years. While professional athlete may not feel the same way, their months of work and effort towards their season was eliminated, which gives the impression that they must “start over.” No matter how old or how active you are, the current removal of athletics from society impacts everyone at a neurological level.
Additionally, COVID-19 impacts the confidence of athletes, as without being able to consistently and safely practice, they fear that they will be significantly less physically prepared to play. Athletes may also have trouble with maintaining or even losing weight, as, without exercise, they will slowly begin to build weight if they are not aware. The thoughts of being at a competitive disadvantage due to skill and their body are very harmful to one’s confidence. This directly affects the insula and prefrontal cortex, which limits changes in self-esteem and confidence. Of course, all athletes are currently on similar restrictions by staying inside, but those who have genetic and physical advantages will fare vastly better when sports return, which builds fear in the athletes who don’t have these genes.
How is COVID-19 Affecting College Athletes?
The NCAA has recently conducted a study into the lives of athletes at home, and it has been shown that in a study of over 37,000 athletes, “more than 50 percent of male and female athletes reported a sense of hopelessness at least once during the COVID-19 shutdown.” This statistic shows that the majority of athletes have felt lost since the COVID-19 shutdown began, which can result in immense mental struggles. Additionally, the study found that both male and female athletes “saw a spike of more than 200 percent in relation to feelings of anxiety in relation to previous studies.” The rises in anxiety are likely due to athletes feeling unprepared and afraid to return to their games due to their inability to practice. Overall, it is clear that COVID-19 is impacted many individuals at a high rate, which is alarming considering that Americans have only been quarantined for about three months, with the possibility of an extended time of isolation.
Resources for Struggling Athletes
As a result, organizations such as the NCAA have been providing resources towards coping with the loss of sports. Currently, it is advised to create a regular pattern of self-care, maintain a daily routine, stay active, put time towards practicing your sport indoors, communicate and talk with teammates via Facetime, Skype, and Google Hangouts, and to seek support via The National Alliance on Mental Health Illness website if needed. While organizations have put forth the effort to provide resources for this community, COVID-19 is evidently affecting the minds of athletes across the country. Without sports coming back into place, there will, unfortunately, be little for athletes to accomplish until states slowly reopen practice facilities and fields.
On a brighter note, we can assume that once sports return, the mental health of athletes will immensely improve. Also, best believe that athletes will be the utmost appreciative of their games and put forth massive efforts towards improving their skills. This will result in a higher level of competition and enjoyment for the game for athletes and fans. At this point, we can all hope that a vaccine for COVID-19 is released so that athletes can safely return to their games and compete in front of fans and against opposing teams safely. But, for all the athletes reading (including myself): stay connected with friends, safely exercise, and prioritize your mental health in preparation for the upcoming season.
Kyle Banker 