Title: Balancing Academics and Athletics: Insights and Challenges for Student Athletes. How does the decision to prioritize education over pursuing your dream impact the mental health and overall well-being of athletes? As an athlete myself, choosing between my dream and the reality I live in was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever faced. Like many kids who fell in love with a certain activity with no limitations to their dreams, I always envisioned myself becoming the best football player in the world. Perhaps, that might be a bit too much, but is it out of reach? However, as I grew older, I had to face reality since, in a country like Lebanon, such opportunities are limited. Also, I would always have been criticized for pursuing my dream …show more content…
The essay, written by Andrea Rivera, offers a first-hand narrative of her struggles juggling the rigors of both academics and athletics as a student athlete. (Rivera, 2024) describes her difficulties with studies and athletics in the paper, She talks about how she nearly failed several of her classes while preparing for a major tournament. She tried to keep a strict schedule, but the pressure to succeed in sports caused her to skimp on homework and receive worse grades. After the championship, Rivera finally made the decision to temporarily put her education first, realizing that she needed to concentrate on her schoolwork and raise her academic standing. She draws attention to the potential detrimental effects on mental health, as well as the sacrifices and stress that come with putting athletics before academics. Andrea Rivera's personal story is engaging and accessible in my opinion because her narrative humanizes the topic and highlights the challenges experienced by student athletes in juggling their participation in sports and academics. Her story highlights the difficulties and sacrifices that student athletes face, which can have a serious negative impact on their mental health. It is consistent with the notion that giving …show more content…
With the heading "A 20-year study of suicide among athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association," According to the study, which examined data gathered between 2002 and 2022, the percentage of student athletes who died by suicide increased from 7.6% to 15.3% between the previous ten years and the current ten. In particular, there was a rise in male suicides from 31% to 67% and a rise in female suicides from 9% to 21%. According to the study, student athletes experience extreme stress while juggling their obligations to both athletics and academics, which contributes to the increased suicide rates. High expectations and the pressure to do well in both areas can cause anxiety, sadness, and failure phobia (Whelan et al., 2024). Regarding this source, I consider the figures to be concerning and suggestive of a serious problem. The study offers convincing proof that the strain and stress experienced by student athletes might have detrimental effects on their mental health, possibly even resulting in fatal repercussions. It emphasizes how important it is to focus on the mental health of student athletes and attend to their well-being. By offering scientific evidence to back up the idea that student athletes may experience mental health problems as a result of juggling their