Athletes are Human Too
The magnitude of college sports is on the rise with the new era of NIL and the transfer portal. There is more money involved in collegiate athletics than ever before. High school athletes are beginning to decide on schools based on the dollar amount the institution offers them, sometimes millions of dollars. These are 18-year-old kids deciding their future with little experience but the goal to be successful in mind. Would it be too farfetched to say that there is too much pressure on these young athletes?
Collegiate athletes these days go through more adversity than almost all that came before them. With social media and sports gambling, it seems as if everyone believes their opinion deserves to be shared. Athletes are overwhelmed with hateful messages from angry fans blaming them for losing a bet. Instagram comment sections are flooded with adults criticizing 18- to 23-year-olds for mistakes made during games. The deeper you scroll, the more negativity you find. According to the NCAA, over 30% of student-athletes report struggling with mental health—amounting to over 100,000 individuals currently competing in collegiate sports.
Unfortunately, fans, bystanders, and gamblers often seem more invested in game scores or betting lines than in the well-being of the student-athletes on the field. There have been numerous instances of athletes receiving threats for missed field goals, dropped passes, or missed shots. Imagine being bombarded with hundreds of messages calling you a failure every time you make a mistake at work. While it’s easy to claim such words wouldn’t affect you, deep down, they likely would.
Student-athletes juggle a staggering array of responsibilities: academic coursework, NIL commitments, social lives, mental health struggles, and the physical and emotional demands of their sport. As fans, showing a little compassion the next time we feel the urge to critique these young athletes could make a world of difference. Instead of tearing them down, let’s find ways to support and uplift them.
