Athletes, coaches reflect on importance of mental health

.....Senior forward Isiah Small says he was told the importance of mental health by other coaches in the past, but this school year was the first time he had ever taken action to address his own.

“As you`ve grown up you think you Macho Man,” Small says. “All this counseling is not gonna help. You think, ‘I don’t need to talk to anyone about mental health. I’m good.’ But in reality, counseling helps so much. Not just with your mental, but it helps you look at other things from a different point of view.”....

.....In a largely patriarchal society, it is sometimes frowned upon for men to speak about their emotions or feelings, a mindset Small says he is all too familiar with. He was taught to remain strong and not show any signs of weakness.

“To me, that’s all like a myth,” Small says. “For me growing up they always said, ‘Men are not supposed to cry. Men are supposed to do everything right. You’re supposed to be this tough guy.’ In reality, as I started growing up I looked at it from a different standpoint. It’s okay for men to cry. It’s okay for you to mess up. It’s okay for you to go get counseling… It’s okay to have a soft spot.”..... 

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Bethany`s Notes: Using counseling during COVID-19 has been helpful for many athletes. It is sometimes their first opportunity to really self-reflect and better understand themselves and their choices.