The Mindful Athlete

Personally, I think a big part of an athletes mental health is based off, who they are on the field for. When we are little we start a sport because we think it's fun. As we grow up we keep playing because our parents want us to, as well as we want to for ourselves. By the time we get to high school the love for the game begins to dwindle and we feel almost forced to keep playing.  As I grew up I learned that you can't let a coach ruin the game for you. An athlete's love for the game has to be dictated by themselves and cannot let uncontrollable factors ruin it. When I came to college I began to play for coach. I tried to change my game and do everything the exact way she wanted, lost confidence, and felt forced to be doing what I used to love. What I loved to do became what I had to do.  After freshman year I decided I wasn't going to let a coach dictate how my college lacrosse career went. I began to workout for myself, to make myself feel good, not because we had m...

TIME MANAGEMENT If you are a student-athlete struggling with time management this post is for you! Time Management is the most important aspect of being a student-athlete. You've probably heard that a million times, whether it be from family, teachers, teammates, or coaches. However, that could not be more true.  MANAGE YOUR TIME!  There are plenty of ways to help manage time, and be the most effective student-athlete in the classroom and on the field. Solutions to time management often vary from person to person, but it is important you find your strategy as being a student-athlete without time management skills is nearly impossible! So remember to mange your time well in order to succeed as a student-athlete!  A few strategies that have helped me are: making a calendar, doing my work as soon as I get it, and setting constant reminders in my phone! These are simple steps to help with time management, however I've noticed them to be quite effective and I hope t...

PRE-GAME FEARS? Here's how to take control and perform your best: Have you ever been overcome with some sort of stress, anxiety, or fear moments before a game? Let's be honest, if you do not feel a rush of nerves before each and every game, being an athlete probably isn't for you. That being said, the best athletes are the one's able to conquer those pre-game jitters in the best way possible. That is a very hard thing to do, rise above your game day fears, it is something I constantly struggle with. However, in my teams season opening banquet a few nights ago, I had the pleasure of listening to our guest speaker, LTC (ret) JC Glick. JC has served 11 tours in Afghanistan and has published 2 books on leadership. JC gave some great insight on how to conquer pre-game anxiety. The best way to conquer fear is with courage according to JC Glick. He also described his definition of courage which he believes is defined by action and trust. Action was described as just going ...

A little about Me(l)! My name is Melanie Meara. I am a current sophomore at Stevenson University, majoring in Digital Marketing. I am doing this blog for a class assignment in Marketing 208. I decided to write about the mental health of students athletes for a few reasons. I am part of the women's lacrosse team here at Stevenson. I grew up a part of many sports teams and as I got older I feel as if mental health in not only myself but other teammates began to become an issue. There are many studies done on the mental health of collegiate athletes but not many help us. I decided to write this blog with a fellow classmate and also fellow lacrosse player at Stevenson to help give tips to other athletes in college in order to help maintain a good  mindset.