Mental Wellness for Student-Athletes

When a big part of your identity revolves around being an athlete, being sidelined by an injury can have a major impact on your teen’s mental health. Even for highly motivated athletes in peak physical condition, the stress of maintaining your performance can be overwhelming.

Children’s Mercy offers a team of sports medicine mental health professionals to help student-athletes cope with the emotional challenges of participating in sports, whether they’re at the top of their game or recovering from an injury.

Establishing a plan together

Your first visit with your therapist involves both the athlete and their parent or caregiver. Expect to spend about an hour together to talk about your concerns and create a plan to work together going forward.

Subsequent visits are usually one-on-one with your student-athlete and their therapist. Most athletes meet every two weeks with their therapist at first, and then once a month for a few months after that. Parents and family members are always an important element of a student-athlete’s mental wellness. Your therapist will continue to work collaboratively with your entire family and other members of your sports medicine team as needed throughout the process.