Regardless of their sport, being an athlete puts a certain amount of pressure on an individual. There’s no question that they want to win every time they compete, but the process of creating that winning DNA will test their limits, question their resolve, and play mind games.
And yes, even elite athletes fall to these pressures. Although empirical data on their depressive symptoms are rare, Frontiers of Psychology specified several factors associated with depression, such as overtraining, injury, and failure in competition.
The research also indicated that those who participate in individual sports like swimming or running are more prone to these depressive symptoms than those who engage in team sports like basketball or soccer. These athletes bear the full weight of winning or losing; it’s just them, their coach, their playing field, and the thin line of having a medal hung around their neck, or going back to square one.
If left unchecked, these symptoms can spell an even bigger disaster, leading to anxiety, self-doubt and criticism, and feelings of isolation. This is particularly because individual athletes don’t have teammates “which can be credited or blamed for results,” thereby increasing the risk of having shame or guilt in the process.
But then again, those who are part of a team are not exempt. While they have the benefit of having a social network that can ease mental tension, toxic teammates, group dynamics, and the role that they play on the team can expose their once-shielded values to mental stress.
There is also the fact that team sports can breed competition among teammates, especially when it comes to receiving recognition and awards. It can also create a “pack-like” mentality where one player – particularly the best – acts as the leader.
At the end of the day, athletes are still humans who can break down if the pressure proves to be too much. Whether it’s having a recurring injury because of overtraining or losing sleep because your rival is doing better than you, the competitive nature of sports will test their mind, body, and spirit to the point that they need to shut down those voices in their head.
