The document discusses how mental health care can be improved in the athletic community. It suggests that coaches must teach athletes the importance of self-compassion, especially when pushing past obstacles, rather than just tough love. Professional sports leagues are also beginning to view mental and physical health as equally important, such as providing mental rehabilitation for injured NFL players. New technologies, like recovery management engines, could help track athletes' physical, emotional, social, and behavioral recovery in an evidence-based way. Overall, the athletic community needs to consistently seek ways to improve their mental healthcare protocols.

1. HOW WE CAN IMPROVE
MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE
ATHLETIC COMMUNITY
STEVE MOYE

2. Fromthefirsttimetheydontheirgear,itisingrainedinathletes’mindsthat
theymustcarerelentlesslyfortheirbodies.Theymusteatwell,getenough
rest,andensuretheyproperlytraintobuildendurance.
However,untilrecently,itwasrareforanathletetohearthatmaintaining
theirmentalhealthwasjustascriticalasmaintainingtheirphysicalhealth.The
age-oldstigmaisstillprevalent,though,asmultiplestudieshaveconcluded
thatathletesarelesslikelytoseekouthelpformentalillness,eventhough73
percentofthembelievetheircoachesareapproachableandconcernedwith
theirwell-being.
Withthisfactinmind,letusexaminehowtheathleticcommunitycanimprove
theirmentalhealthcarepractices.

3. More often than not, athletes of all ages
receive tough love — a tactic that is defined as
love or affectionate concern expressed in a
stern or unsentimental manner, like discipline
— when they must push past physical and
emotional obstacles. Although that approach
may be appropriate during game time or
practice, it is imperative that athletes do not
allow this mentality to translate to everyday
life.
Therefore, coaches must make it abundantly
clear that self-compassion is a necessity,
especially in catalyzing life-long motivation
and healthy behavior.
T E A C H A T H L E T E S T H E
I M P O R T A N C E O F S E L F -
C O M P A S S I O N

4. As of late, it seems as though professional
sports leagues are finally viewing mental and
physical health as equally important, especially
in the case of injured athletes.
For instance, the National Football League
(NFL) has begun collaborating with medical
professionals to ensure their injured players
receive mental rehabilitation, especially if they
are not slated to make a quick and relatively
easy recovery.
E S T A B L I S H T H A T O N E ’ S
V A L U E I S N O T
D I C T A T E D B Y T H E I R
P H Y S I C A L A B I L I T Y

5. The athletic community could fast-track the
improvement of their mental health care by
integrating new forms of technology in the
recovery process. One of the newest means to
this end could be brought forth by Avexia, a
tech startup with a mission of providing
tailored recovery guidelines to injured athletes
and active individuals.
The company intends to fulfill this goal by
producing an athlete recovery management
engine, which will provide an around-the-
clock, clinically-moderated, evidence-based
digital solution to support the injured athlete
through all factors of recovery: physical,
emotional and behavioral, social, and even in
the realm of opioid abuse.
C O N S I S T E N T L Y S E E K
W A Y S T O I M P R O V E
P R O T O C O L

6. FOR MORE
VISIT STEVEMOYE.ORG