The pandemic has wreaked havoc across almost every part of daily life. We’ve watch as Internet-connected children struggle with virtual classrooms – many falling woefully behind in this relatively under-structured environment – and competitive student athletes have been watching critical time pass without the ability to compete. But as schools reopen, as the relevant vaccines are still undergoing final testing for younger recipients, one of the largest segments of the population experiencing COVID infection has been in the 12-17 age group, particularly in venues where younger competitors are allowed to participate in school sports. The now predominant UK variant (B-117), more severe and contagious than the original virus, seems to have engaged younger demographics with particular virulence.
“At Friday’s [4/9] White House COVID-19 response team briefing, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussed an increase in coronavirus cases due to youth sports. Saying it’s not necessarily a result of transmissions in schools, she urged students, school staff and parents to follow CDC guidance for schools and to participate in testing programs…
“For example, in Michigan and Minnesota that are also increasing number of cases linked to B-117 variants in various settings. And in both of these states, there is concern about transmission in youth sports, both clubs sports, as well as sports affiliated in schools. Well, what is happening in Michigan and Minnesota is similar to what we are seeing across the country.” Yahoo News, April 9th.
But frustration and pent-up needs to return to normal are pressing us back to competitive sports. Which led Audrey Young, a board-certified internal medicine physician in Seattle and a member of USA Climbing’s medical committee, writing an OpEd for the April 10th Los Angeles Times, to take another look at the other aspects of competitive student sports, a world where parents, coaches and fellow students yell and scream, where pressure to win mounts and where self-image can plunge at “failure and loss.”
“[As] youth teams and leagues return, it’s worth examining what our children are actually signed up for. Youth sports are no longer the neighborhood pickup games of American lore. In recent years children as young as 6 are increasingly enrolling in high-level sports programs with professional coaches and year-round competition schedules.
“By age 13, up to 70% of children have dropped out of organized sports. I was certain the stats wouldn’t apply to my family — until two of the best, strongest, older athletes on my kids’ climbing team dropped out.
“Evidence suggests that as young people compete more intensely in sports, gains in mental wellness may be replaced by mental health challenges particular to competitive athletics. Pre-pandemic, up to 20% of college athletes experienced major depression. For young athletes competing at national and international levels, anxiety and depression were 20% to 45% higher in some cases than those in the age-matched control groups. In one study of elite Canadian swimmers, an eye-popping 68% met the criteria for depression.
“Supporting psychological well-being in our young athletes feels especially urgent as we emerge from a pandemic that has probably affected everyone’s mental health in some way. Sports medicine experts are just beginning to seriously study the mental health problems that arise in youth sports, but it’s increasingly evident that constant competition, year-round training and injuries can all contribute to anxiety and depression in athletes.
“Humans are wired with an ancient nervous system that activates a ‘fight or flight’ response to perceived danger — the kind of adrenaline storm that can also be triggered by playing in sporting events like track meets and soccer games. Athletes who don’t learn to manage the stress of repetitive competition can experience anxiety and diminished performance — often referred to as choking. The feeling of not living up to one’s potential can undermine confidence and optimism, which may lead to athletes dropping out.
“Injury is one of the strongest risk factors for mental health issues in athletes. It is linked to clinical depression and can trigger thoughts about low motivation and laziness. Even after returning to play, the prospect of reinjury may be a source of anxiety. Young athletes training year round in a single sport are at greater risk of being injured compared to athletes playing multiple sports. Eventually, anxiety and depression can interfere with training and performance and alter an athlete’s physiology.”
Indeed, picture a solid athlete in high school, ignoring academics and focusing on his or her sport of choice, spending hours exercising and practicing. The odds of any young body merging into the highest level of collegiate and then professional sports are never good. When that young body hit maximum athletic potential and hits that ultimate competitive wall, they are often left without skills and education to make their way economically in this world. Yet there are few educational institutions offering the kind of counselling that should be applied to student athletes in general, and to those who hit that wall specifically.
Young continues: “Parents, coaches, teammates and peers should talk — and listen — to the student-athletes in their lives. It can help more than one might guess. Ask open-ended questions that allow the person to be comfortable expressing feelings. Being able to talk about the stress of team dynamics or competition can be beneficial. Just by talking, individuals can sometimes identify the next actions to take.
“Research shows that writing about difficult moments and situations can also improve mental wellness. Some athletes make it a practice to write about goals and regularly reflect on their feelings about challenging events. This practice may initially feel distressing as difficult feelings surface, but in the days and weeks to come their brains may be in a better place.
“If talking or writing doesn’t result in progress, connect with a healthcare expert like a trusted pediatrician or a mental health professional, and get guidance on how to help the athlete’s mental well-being.” In the end, those young bodies and minds are probably unaware of the direct causation of their emotion discomfort or what to do about it. It is in the hands of the teachers, coaches, counsellors… but mostly parents… to watch, listen and react.
I’m Peter Dekom, and pushing kids too hard when the probabilities are against them and then failing to react appropriately to the mental anguish, needs to stop even as this nation seems obsessed with pushing those competitive kids really hard.
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