Friends! May is Mental Health Awareness month. Athlete Mindset Mentor, Sierra Bishop, shares her personal journey and insights in today’s post.
As student-athletes, acknowledging the importance of our mental game can be tough! Mindset is not as easily measurable as the metrics we’re expected to improve like strength, power and speed. But mental health in sports is critical to long-term success. In fact, I would argue that training to improve our minds is the most important training we can do.
The Demands of Being a Student-Athlete
My journey with mental health has been full of ups and downs. In high school, my days often started at 6am with club meetings. Meetings were followed by a full day of classes, practice or games, and then homework. Add to that bedtime by 10pm plus trying to recover before the next day of doing it all over again. Any of that sound familiar?
Moving from one thing to another felt amazing when I was feeling positive and motivated inside. I felt productive… accomplished. But the routine was unstable and unsustainable. Sooner or later, I always crashed.
I started experiencing anxious thoughts before games. At one point I told my coach I wasn’t ready to start, even though starting was exactly what I’d been training for. The highs and lows were extreme and confusing. It was like I didn’t know how to do the things that I loved because the love I once felt was hiding or gone.
Mindset Training in College Athletics
In college, I was introduced to mindset training, which helped me explore my internal motivation—my “why.” We talked about what keeps you going even when you’re feeling exhausted or discouraged. You know—the days when you’d rather stay under the covers than get up and embrace what’s ahead.
My “why” always had two parts:
- One part for me: Knowing that when I showed up, I was building on the hard work that was helping me move toward my goals and how I aimed to evolve.
- One part for my teammates: We built trust through consistency, and I felt a responsibility to serve and support my team.
Coping Through Stress and Burnout
Sometimes for a day or two… sometimes a week or two… sometimes for a month or two at a time, I felt like I defaulted to autopilot. My ability to show up was compromised because my stress was so high. During these lows, it was difficult to recognize progress. Thoughts of quitting crossed my mind more than once. I had to learn how to focus on what I could control and lean into the belief that I would come out stronger—fiercer, faster, more resilient—on the other side.
Overtime, the ups and downs became more manageable simply through acknowledging that, sometimes, things—sports, school, family, friends, finding balance in life—are just plain challenging. I’ve also been able to build a strong support network of sports psychologists, therapists, advisors, mentors, family, coaches and friends. I know who I can lean on for encouragement. And I’ve learned that any feeling of helpless needs to be acknowledged but won’t last for long.
Reframing Toughness and Identity in Sports
As athletes, we are praised for being tough and pushing our bodies to the limit. But we have to understand that our minds have a significant impact on where those limits exist.
Sometimes, practice gave me reprieve from the stressors related to school or relationships. Other times, practice was the main cause of my stress. After all this time, nearly 20 years competing in sports, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that my worth and value as a human is not dictated by my performance as an athlete.
I’ve learned this. I know this. Yet, with so much of my identify tied to being an athlete, it can still feel impossible to separate the two.
Practical ways I’ve found help protect my mental health include:
- Spending time with friends outside of my sport and conversing about things not related to sport.
- Journaling as a form of self-reflection and space free of judgment to work through my thoughts.
- Learning to prioritize my responsibilities to help conserve mental energy.
This last point is something that I’m still working on. It’s hard given all the competing demands. But I know firsthand that my mind deserves as much consideration and attention to recovery as my body.
Closing Thoughts for Student-Athletes
Goals can feel scary—especially when they’re big and audacious and the path to achieving them isn’t straightforward or super clear. Set up a system of support that allows you to feel the ups and downs of your athletic endeavors and helps you stay mentally strong in the process. Your enjoyment and ability to be present and engaged as a student-athlete is important—don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
You deserve to feel excited about the sport that you love and about how you spend your time.
Mental Health Resources
If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Here are a few places to start receiving support:
- The Hidden Opponent: Mental health advocacy for student-athletes @thehiddenopponent
- Dam Worth It Co.: A campaign to end the stigma around mental health @damworthitco
- Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
- University Counseling Centers: Most schools offer confidential mental health support—reach out and make use of these services.
Disclaimer: We at Be Brave High Performance are a team of ICF-aligned coaches and athlete mindset mentors. We share stories and insights in the spirit of community and support for a high-achieving, like-minded tribe. Information shared is not intended as a substitute for guidance or advice from a qualified healthcare provider.
Sierra, thank you for openly sharing such fantastic insights and personal learnings about mindset and mental health. We are truly lucky to have you as part of our athlete mentoring group. Any student-athlete who has the opportunity to work with you is going to benefit a million!