Search

close   X

2/17/22 blog post

former competitive athlete shares her journey to mental health advocate

a former competitive softball player shares her journey from athlete to mental health advocate

An average of 12.3 million nightly viewers are tuning into the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. These athletes, the youngest being 18 and the average age being 27, have the world’s eyes on them and the hopes and dreams of a country on their back. That’s an incredible amount of pressure many of us will never fully realize. But at home, there are many young athletes who are also facing an immense amount of pressure to play the sport they love. 

On Our Sleeves clinical expert, Emily Weitz was once a highly-competitive, female athlete. She still remembers how, as a softball pitcher, the pressure affected her mental health but led her to become a passionate mental health professional. She shares her perspective on how we can create a healthy environment for our children who are athletes to help them thrive and go for the gold themselves.

Q: What is your journey as an athlete?  

Emily: I got into softball by playing T-ball at 4 years old. When I was in middle school, I tried out for a fast pitch tournament team. I was shell-shocked because these athletes were being approached about being recruited to Division I colleges to play, but we were only in middle school! So the competition was already fierce, but my parents kept me grounded by removing that pressure. They were supportive of me following my interest in softball but didn’t push beyond that.  

Q: How did your parents show their support and keep you from feeling too much pressure?

Emily:  I had very supportive parents who followed my interests. If I ever started slacking at practice, they would remind me that they didn’t mind paying for private lessons and supporting my goals as long as I put in the effort. They often checked in on my sister and me to make sure that playing softball competitively was what we wanted to do. There is a balance to when you push your child to teach resiliency but also recognize when pushing them becomes unsafe.  

Q: Despite your parents' support, did you still feel pressure as an athlete? 

Emily: When I started playing travel ball, the whole first year I sat on the bench because everyone was more advanced. This led to me losing my confidence and making me more nervous to play. It became a vicious cycle of reinforcing my negative beliefs. 

The next year I found a team that better fit my skill level and I was a bit older. I think this was a positive choice- it gave me the ability to get my confidence back and made me a leader.  

I think this is why I ended up in the mental health field, I had to implement Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and coping strategies which I could later help my friends with. At the time, I didn’t know that I was doing mental health strategies, I just knew I had to think more positively to be successful at my sport. 

Q: How did pressure help you as an athlete?  

Emily: Playing in college was super intense because I played for a Division III school. We had to pass these physical tests at the beginning of every season. I was pushing myself so hard I even threw up once. But I realized the things our coaches were pushing us to do were helpful life lessons. For example, if you left the equipment out on the field, then the whole team had to run sprints. So, it was a lot of pressure not to make a mistake, but the lesson was about being responsible. And, if you missed class you had to run sprints for every minute that you missed, so the life lesson there was to not miss out on work because people are counting on you. When my team and I were at our breaking point, it brought us closer. Even today, we text each other on MLK Day every year because that was the start of winter conditioning. We laugh about those experiences now.  

Q: Now as a coach what do you notice about pressure and athletes?  

Emily: I see the athletes who struggle the most in their game also struggle with anxiety and negative self-belief in life. As a pitching coach, I realized that my athlete’s biggest hurdle is usually their mentality! As soon as they get frustrated from their performance, their muscles become tense and keep them from performing their best. Then it becomes a cycle. This creates bad habits and self-fulfilling prophecies. So what I tell them is, even if you don’t believe you’re the best, you must tell yourself you are and act like you are until you get there.  

Q: How can parents tell when the pressure is too much for their child athlete?  

Emily: If you want your child to be successful in sports, it’s to their advantage that you help make them better human beings all around. From their health to their mental wellness and beyond. If you have a child who is naturally gifted in sports, beware of pushing them so hard that they burn out from the pressure and no longer have a desire to play that sport.  Find the balance, guide them along, feed their passion. 

And of course, no matter what level of sport your child is playing, remember that there are always valuable lessons to learn. It can be hard to know if you are pushing an athlete too hard or just hard enough. This is why it is so important to build a relationship with your child and the athletes you coach so you can have an open and ongoing conversation. This will make it easier for them to approach you when they are feeling burnt out and easier for you to decipher if they need a little extra push or when it is time to back off. If you are struggling to connect with your child or athlete you coach, try starting with the Conversation Starters from On Our Sleeves!  

If you’re looking for more ways to support others and discuss mental health, join the movement of On Our Sleeves. We believe that no family should struggle alone in their journey with mental health. Check out more resources and guides, here.  

Ways to get involved:

• Become an advocate

• Join our e-community

• Partner with us

• Donate to the cause

• Share your story

Have you heard about The Center for the Female Athlete?

Dayton Children’s knows that when it comes to young, female athletes, there’s a lot to consider. Training, performance, nutrition, mental health. And with The Center for the Female Athlete, we provide a place for our young female athletes to be heard. To learn how to understand their body's unique needs and focus on the power they have to position themselves for total wellness. 

With an exceptional female-led team of physicians, dietitians, behavioral health specialists and athletic trainers, female athletes can find the program they’ve been looking for that helps them not only be the best version of their athletic self but more importantly, the best version of their whole self. 

Are you ready to find out if The Center for the Female Athlete is right for you or your daughter? Parents/guardians can book a free 30-minute consult with one of our athletic trainers to find out if it's a good fit! Consults are available Monday - Friday and can be booked here at a time convenient for you. 

because kids don't wear their thoughts on their sleeves

join the movement partner with us

Kids don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves. Help us break the stigma and gives kids a voice. Join the movement for children’s mental health.

join now

Are you interested in partnering with Dayton Children's On Our Sleeves to help spread the movement for children's mental health? Send us a message and we will be in touch! 

email us