Music blasts from the back of the bus as my teammates sing along enthusiastically. As much as I’d like to

join in, I’m stuck anxiously fidgeting with my hands, mentally going over my race plan as I listen to my comfort playlist.

The bus finally pulls to the side of the road and we all hop off, heading inside. Once I step inside the

doors of the Reggie Lewis Center, its signature scent hits me and my stomach drops.

I find my place in the bleachers and attempt to relax. I watch the other races and crack jokes with my

friends, though all the while, my knee won’t stop bouncing.

When it’s time to warm up, the pit in my stomach grows. I try to breathe, I try to loosen up, I try to remind myself that it’s not all that important. Except to me, it is. My race is called and I line up on the track. I scout the nearest trash cans, feeling like I’m going to throw up. Toes to the line, arms in position, head down. I’m terrified.

As a student track athlete, this is my experience every meet. Being a soccer player for most of my life, I decided to take on track in high school.

While I expected grueling workouts, personal records, races won, and races lost, I was entirely unprepared for the anxiety attacks, stomachaches, and stress that accompanied my running.

Track exposed the competitive anxiety that I had never addressed. Every meet, I fight the mental battle of prioritizing my love for track over the dread I feel leading up to my race.

My experience is far from unique. Student athletes train tirelessly, coached to reach optimal physical fitness. Schools provide athletic trainers, expansive facilities, and expert coaches. However, despite the abundance of funding poured into sports by high schools every year, there is rarely consideration or support pro-

vided for the mental toll athletics take on young athletes.

According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, 91% of high school athletes reported experiencing stress related to sports. If statistics clearly point to the issue of sports performance anxiety in high schoolers, why are mental health resources for athletes so minimal?

Oftentimes, it’s a matter of stigma. Sports, by nature, are aggressive, tough, and gritty activities. In a pastime that values strength, it’s common to dismiss the vulnerable topic of mental health. Schools would rather spend money on concession stands and fancy uniforms, instead of recognizing that athletes require genuine support to thrive.

At Milton High School specifically, the budget for athletics in the 2023-2024 school year is $715,169. Though 1,952,748 additional dollars are attributed to school counseling, none of that money is allotted for sports-specific mental health professionals.

What high schools need are sports psychologists. As defined by the American Psychological As-sociation, sports psychology “uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, and systemic issues associated with sports settings and organizations.”

In a time when a student’s athletic success holds the capacity to determine their college, career, and future, access to these athletic mental health professionals is crucial to ensure they are mentally equipped to compete to the best of their abilities.

The barriers that prevent athletes from succeeding extend far beyond physical obstacles. Just as

a torn ACL can destroy the sports career of a student, mental illness can do the same.

It’s unrealistic to expect student athletes to perform at high levels when crippled with the weight of nerves and expectations.

The assistance of coaches and athletic trainers with no mental health training can only help so much. In my experience, the advice of “just breathe” or “relax” from my coaches has failed to prove constructive.

Sports define the American high school experience. So let’s take the steps to protect the student athletes who epitomize American culture. In other words, my teammates and I deserve to have a sports psychologist available in school.