Supporting Strength: Mental Health Initiatives in NCAA Women’s Basketball
In 2023, approximately 132 people died every day from suicide in the United States. That means that within every 11 minutes, there was a death by suicide. During 2023, roughly 49,000 people took their own lives. This does not include self-harm but focuses on overall acts of committing suicide that succeeded in ending a life. Not only is the act of suicide damaging to one’s health, but what leads up to it makes the biggest impact. The decision that individuals face does not happen overnight, but in time. In recent years, there has been a focus on athletes’ mental health and how to improve their well-being on and off the court.
As student athletes navigate their lives, they are not only full-time students but also full-time athletes, and some have a job on top of their other obligations. Being an athlete takes up an abundance of time, leading to lower amounts of time spent outside with other individuals who aren’t the player’s teammates or coaches. In addition to being on a team, players must make time to focus on their studies, as good grades are important and help structure their future lives. Some could say being an NCAA athlete is tougher than other levels due to their travel days, more focus from the media, and the pressure may feel higher to be perfect since they are consistently broadcasted on camera to the outside world. Of course, other levels do broadcast live, yet these other levels are not as big as the NCAA.
Taking a step deeper into NCAA Women’s Basketball, there have been changes to help focus on their athletes’ mental health. Since the 2020-2021 season, the NCAA has committed to improving the mental-health practices, which continued to significantly improve up to last season. Yet, each year, there will be more improvements, and more individuals for other athletes to look up to. Specifically, players such as Lauren Betts and Chloe Kitts have openly discussed their mental health journey. By having players speak up about their mental health journey, it will demonstrate to other athletes that it’s okay to seek professional help and that you are not alone.
Not only have players in the NCAA Women’s Basketball spoken up about their mental health, but Cameron Brink has also become an advocate for mental health. Additionally, the NCAA athletic departments are working towards creating a supportive environment for the players, and the stigma regarding mental health has begun to be accepted in modern-day society. No matter what, people go through tough times, and you may not know it. However, the more people who accept and express to others that it’s okay to not be okay and it’s okay to seek help, the mental health side of NCAA Women’s Basketball will continue to grow and improve. If you know of anyone who is in need of help or guidance, help is available. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988.
