Back to School and Sports: Well-being Tips for Your Student-Athlete

Student-athletes are challenged with managing sports obligations and expectations with school-work, social time, family, and other activities. It can be overwhelming to balance the ongoing stresses, which may put their mental well-being at risk. Balancing physical fitness and mental fitness is vital. Best Care EAP offers four tips to help you support your student-athlete. 

Prioritize each week 

It’s easy to feel immense pressure from a busy schedule. One way to combat this is to sit down one night a week with your student-athlete and help them plan the following week. Make a list of everything going on and highlight activities that are priorities. Help them identify things they can adjust if they need to be flexible. One way to prioritize tasks and activities is to determine which ones would have the greatest negative consequences if they aren’t completed. Those activities or tasks should take precedent. Rank the remaining activities and tasks accordingly. 

Set realistic goals 

Having a list of smaller goals to serve as stepping stones to the end goal can help your student-athlete stay focused on what’s in front of them and see progress. These smaller goals can be set weekly or biweekly. Parents should check with their student-athlete to find out if the smaller goals are helping and, if needed, offer help to adjust them. 

Develop a support system 

A strong support system can help your student-athlete feel less alone, which can play a crucial role in preventing mental health challenges. Parents, other family members and even friends should have frequent communication with the student-athlete. Face-to-face conversation is best, but texting can be helpful as well. You could also leave encouraging notes in the bathroom or by their bedside to show that you’re there for them. 

Ask for help 

Remind your student-athlete that balancing school work, sports and friends can be challenging. Encourage them to ask for help if the pressure is getting the best of them. As a member of Best Care EAP, your benefit extends to eligible dependents. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Best Care EAP if help is needed. Our licensed counselors are available to provide support and guidance. To schedule a confidential appointment, fill out the counseling registration form. If you have issues with the form, please call our office at (402) 354-8000 or (800) 801-4182 and we'll be glad to help. 

More Resources 

Best Care EAP offers a variety of resources that can help boost your emotional and mental health. You can find a variety of self-help webinars and well-being articles in our Resource Hub.