Student athletes face unique stressors compared to non-athlete students such as time demands from balancing sports and academics, relationships with coaches, and missed classes. The mentality to overcome physical stress in sports can lead to other stresses from pressures to perform both in the classroom and on the field. Managing a schedule that includes conditioning, workouts, practice, classes, studying, meals, sleep, and a social life can create a "domino effect" of stresses for student athletes. Without proper stress management, student athletes are at risk of excessive drinking and other unhealthy coping behaviors.

1. Stress is almost inevitable for
college students, but student
athletes seem to endure
more stress than normal.

2. “While it’s not clear whether the source of challenges to student-athlete
mental well being is the same as those non-athletes face, collegiate athletes
are known to encounter unique stressors that the general population
doesn’t have to deal with, such as time demands, relationships with coaches,
and missed scheduled classes,” the NCAA stated on their official website.

3. Ryan Larkin, an athletic trainer for the Men’s Tennis
and Women’s Soccer Teams at DU hears these
stresses expressed by athletes on a regular basis.

4. “The mentality to overcome
physical stress leads to other
stresses, whether it’s
pressure to perform in the
classroom or on the playing
field, athletes definitely have
to deal with a lot,” Ryan
Larkin explained.

5. Pressure to perform on
the field as well as the
classroom are only a few
stress factors of a
student-athletes everyday
life.

6. Adding the weight room and
conditioning practices to student-
athlete schedules can either
relieve or create stress says Gary
Boros, the Assistant Sports
Performance Coach at DU.

7. “We understand that not everyone likes or wants to
lift weights, but we have to push our athletes out of
their comfort zones and make them do things they are
uncomfortable with. This alone can force other
stresses on top of whatever else they have going on,”
said Gary Boros.

8. Having a balanced diet adds
to the stress of being a
college athlete, says
sophomore Cristiana
Behnken.

9. “It’s like a domino effect. If you
don’t have a full night of sleep, you
don’t wake up to eat. So then you
get to practice with no energy and
barely stay awake in your classes,”
says Cristiana Behnken.

10. Keeping up with social pressures of
“college life” can also add various
stress to student-athletes.

11. According to a survey that the NCAA
conducted in 2014, 44 percent of
male athletes and 33 percent of
female athletes said that they had
drank excessively in the past 12
months.

12. Heather
Turcios, a
freshmen
soccer player
says, “It builds
stress when
you see your
friends going
out and you
know you can’t
go to relieve
the stress
you’re already
under.”

13. Ryan Larkin suggest that athletes
talk to someone, go outside, read
a book, or talk to a professional
when it comes to dealing with
stress.