My guest today is Allison Mallory. Allison is a Mental Performance Consultant and case manager at Colorado University in Boulder, CO. She works in the Psychological Health & Performance Department with D1 student athletes. Alli is also working with Boulder Buffs a student-athlete peer advocacy group for mental health. Boulder Buffs promotes mental health and wellness through education and support for student-athletes. Their program focuses on the 3 R’s: Recognize, Respond, Refer

When it comes to athletes of all levels, we traditionally think of physical health as the top priority. Coaches want their players in peak physical shape at all times so that they can perform to the best of their ability–yet, many fail to think about the effects that mental health has on an athlete’s game. With collegiate sports in particular, athletes are balancing school, social life, and this time-consuming and physically draining job of playing a sport. College athletes are going through all of this while dealing with many other personal issues at such a young age. This overload of activities at the same time can cause a person to “crash,” and collegiate sports don’t take this into account. They are so focused on what the athlete can do for the college and how much money they can make that they often disregard what they can do for the athlete.

While professional athletes face the pressure of an oftentimes international audience, college athletes must balance similar pressures, all while maintaining their lives as normal college students. In addition, athletes are less likely than other college students to seek help. One study shows that around 33% of all college students will experience serious mental health struggles, such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Among this group, around 30% seek help through college resources. However, of college athletes experiencing mental health struggles, only around 10% seek help. College athletes are ordered to be mentally tough so often that they never seek help when they face a true issue because they don’t want to show weakness or vulnerability.

Website: https://cubuffs.com/sports/2018/10/5/bolder-buffs

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