Is Aiding Mental Health The Next Frontier Of MLB Player Development?

.....When former Rays` prospect Luke Bailey was struggling with the yips during his minor league career, it wasn’t just his play on the diamond that suffered. The young catcher took the mental fight with him everywhere, culminating in fracturing a wall by punching his hand in frustration.....                                         

...."Every night after games, driving home—praying, crying. It was just one of the hardest things in sports you could go through,” Bailey said.....In a 2018 article for “The Baseball Observer,” Maher laid out how he differentiates mental skills and mental health. The skills portion focuses on preparation for competition, building mental tools and routine to ensure that the athlete is mentally ready to compete. Mental health deals with the occupational stress linked to the sport, as well as stresses of life itself. That can include conditions such as anxiety or depression as well as addiction or family issues......

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Bethany`s Notes: Another professional league considering the mental health side of athletics. The distinction above between mental health and mental skills are critical to help an athlete find the right fit for their needs.