For the start of the sports season for the 2023-2024 school year, there is a lot of consideration when it comes to playing a sport. The mental health warriors club is starting back up again this year, and new set goals formed for student athletes. The mental health warriors club is a group that focuses on supporting the student athletes.
Club sponsor Damien Tippett got the Mental Performance Mastery Certification (MPM) over the summer. During the ten week program, he had a class filled with a variety of people. The course he took included textbook reading, online curriculum and monthly zoom meetings.
“Once I was done, I kind of felt like I needed more,” Tippett said, “I thought I knew about this, but now I know a lot more but it was only a fraction of what I will know when it is all set and done.” When he was younger, he had to go through with anxiety when playing baseball and it would affect his performance. If the club existed back then, it would have helped regulate his anxiety better.
“The club is to help our athletes,” Tippett responded, “Our kids, in general, involved with athletics are under more pressure than any era ever.” Parent and online pressure could affect a student’s mental health. There is just a lot going on for a student to manage time between all of those factors.
Junior Emma Kaufaman-Warner is a tennis player and the club has helped her improve her mental game. “I want to learn more by getting better mentally in my sports,” Kaufaman-Warner says, “so I can get stronger and not give up.” She believes her goal in the club this year is to get more people involved into the club and try to get more members to join.
Managing school as well as playing a sport adds on to the workload the student has. A lot of pressure from many courses taken but with the club, it will help teach lessons on how to regulate emotions and balance out each task one at a time.
Junior Dominic Avalos is a basketball player hopes for this year that the team could win another championship. “I think I will be more mindful of my own actions,” Avalos says, “I won’t get over stressed about anything.” He hopes he will have a positive mind for this year forward.
With the club starting again this year, the goal of mental health in student athletes is a top priority. With new personal goals for the upcoming seasons, having a calm mind and focusing on what is going on in the moment. This would bring a fresh start for sports in the 2023-2024 school year.
