The Data Tell Us That There Has Never Been a More Important Time to Be a College Coach: Helping Student-Athletes Navigate the Pandemic

Coaches Are Having the Most Impact

The results of my September insights study indicate that Coaches (and other Athletics staff) are having the most impact on student-athletes as they navigate the stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges posed by COVID-19.

Who College Student-athletes Look to for Support

Using artificial intelligence to gauge a surge in the number of social media mentions about mental health by student-athletes during the last two weeks, I then re-surveyed about 2,000 student-athletes, aligning with the 2019 NCAA Demographic Database. (The sample size, confidence level, and other elements have been set to get results that reflect the student-athlete population.)

Now nearly seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the unique impact on the mental health of high school and college student-athletes is still evolving. While the general high school and college student population is struggling through remote learning and uncertainty about the future, student-athletes are being hit hard by other dramatic life changes, including:

  • Contact with teammates that has been greatly diminished

  • A primary support structure, provided by Coaches and other staff, that has been restructured

  • A traditional day-to-day routine - class, practice, meals, studying - that has been disrupted

But as you will see below, Coaches are having an impact on the lives of student-athletes at this critical time.

Things Got Better Before They Got Worse

Since the pandemic started, I’ve surveyed student-athletes multiple times about their mental health. The results were at their worst in April, when Spring seasons had been canceled and students were sent home. The results improved slightly over the Summer, when many student-athletes expressed a feeling of some “normalcy” (they likely would have been home at this time, pandemic or not) and “hope” (many schools at this point were indicating in-person learning and Fall sports seasons had not been delayed.)

But in a surprise to me and many Coaches I have spoken with in the last few weeks, those improvements have since evaporated. Today, 67% of college student-athletes and 60% of high school student-athletes say they ARE worried about their mental health.

Student-athlete Mental Health Concerns

So what’s changed? Simply put, we’ve gone back to school. But the excitement and promise of what that has traditionally represented (academically, athletically, and socially) has been replaced with the harsh reality of hybrid classes, postponed Fall sports, and de-densified campuses. Back to school in 2020 has brought on disappointment, stress, and isolation. 55% of college student-athletes and and 56% of high school student-athletes are disappointed about returning to their school in its current form. Only about 30% (both high school and college) are “very happy” to be back.

Coaches & Teammates Are The Most Relied Upon Support System

During the pandemic, student-athletes have looked for support from multiple sources. 56% of college student-athletes and 57% high school student-athletes said they have relied on friends for support during COVID. About 40% (both high school and college) of student-athletes have looked to their parents.

58% of college student-athletes say they have relied upon their Coaches to help them through the pandemic. They were just as likely to say a formal team meeting, practice, or A TEAM meal was “support” as they were to describe a conversation with their coach.

Relationships and bonds between teammates are unlike any other. 64% of college student-athletes say they have contacted a teammate who looked like they needed support. But despite those efforts, student-athletes still need more: 43% say they want more connection to teammates during COVID.

A Stigma Persists

34% of student-athletes say they are not comfortable seeking mental health services at their college or university. About 50% of student-athletes say their Coaches take mental health seriously, but only about a quarter of student-athletes feel comfortable telling their Coach about their mental health challenges.

Student-athletes and Mental Health

Female student-athletes feel more comfortable asking for help from their Coaches. Younger student-athletes are less likely to ask for help than older student-athletes. Football players (across Divisions) are half as likely as other student-athletes to ask for help.

In the insights work I do, I find few sport/age/gender-specific differences in my results. But seeking out and feeling comfortable discussing mental health is an exception.

Action Plan

While these insights may feel like more bad news, I believe there is a more important and promising side.

There has never been more important time to be a College Coach or athletics staff. The action that Coaches and staff choose to take right now may, quite literally, improve the trajectory of their players lives for years to come.

Coaches can:

  • Acknowledge the disappointed about returning to school that student-athletes may be experiencing and ask them to contribute to a plan to improve it

  • Develop a process to increase contact between teammates, particularly those who may need support

  • Recognize that there are segments of student-athletes who are more likely to be uncomfortable seeking out mental health services - men, younger student-athletes, and football players in particular

Bill Carter