Athletics is a huge part of student life here at The Morgan School, where there are 21 interscholastic sports offered and there are over 320 participating students. Many athletes participate in more than one sport, dealing with different teammates, coaches, and environments. It is common for high school student-athletes to suffer from mental stress and anxiety. Factors that can cause mental struggles for athletes are fear of failure, unrealistic self-expectations, fear of judgment, parental pressure, relationships with coaches, and disappointment in their performance. On top of the mental toughness needed to be a successful athlete, student-athletes face the difficulties of balancing academics and sports.
Athletic director Meagan Sears believes that the Clinton community supports their athletes in many ways. There is a huge focus on building leaders through their sports. The athletic department believes that education is central to athletics. Students are looked at as a whole, and not identified by their sport as many may think.
Athletes need a support network with trusted adults, and the connection and collaboration between athletes and coaches is valuable. This school year alone, Morgan had student-athletes participate in leadership and sportsmanship conferences hosted by the CIAC and Shoreline schools. QPR Training, suicide prevention training is also provided for student-athletes. This year this suicide prevention training will include captains and students who show leadership potential. At the workshop, the students will learn the importance of responding in a situation where there is a crisis.
Mrs. Sears said the mental health of Morgans’ athletes is positive overall, “ but in any athletic environment students face challenges every day, and there is always room for growth.” The athletic mindset is a rollercoaster, and it is all about building the skills needed to find a way out of the low points. Mrs. Sears highlights that it is important for anybody to step up into a leadership role, not just captains when they know someone else is struggling. Skills that are built in high school translate to the real world. Knowing how to be a good teammate and someone that anybody can count on are skills that will serve students for a lifetime.
Health teacher Rachel Lupone believes that two main factors specifically affect high school student-athletes. “High school students get too much homework, and it builds on, causing more stress during a season. They are more stressed during a season, but it isn’t their fault because the brain doesn’t fully form until age 26, and it is hard to manage time.” Time management is a struggle for all students. They have minimal executive function to manage their time properly, and it is hard for teenagers to learn to balance their social, athletic, and academic lives.
Balancing academics and sports requires determination, dedication, and proper time management skills. Although it may seem impossible at times, it is very doable. Sophomore Sadie Passante is a dual sport athlete here at Morgan, participating in both girls soccer and girls basketball. Sadie is a very successful student-athlete who received 2023 Class S All-State for soccer, 2023 Shoreline Conference Girls Soccer First Team and Scholar Athlete, and 2023 Shoreline
Conference Honorable Mention for basketball. Like any athlete, Sadie believes that school can take a toll on an athlete’s mental health because there are many times when practices and games go late into the night, and she has less time to complete her homework and study. It is stressful coming home from tough practices or games, being tired and worried about having to complete assignments. Sadie said, “I think being an athlete impacts mental health because a lot of times people base their confidence or happiness on their athletic performance. Everyone has bad games, so when we perform badly it makes our mental health even worse.” Sadie hopes to continue having a successful athletic and academic life here at Morgan and eventually beyond high school into college.
Remembering to take care of your mental health is equally important as taking care of your physical health. Being able to set the priorities of having good mental health is crucial to the well-being of everybody. The Morgan Athletic Department provides the support and resources needed to face these challenges and encourages students to advocate for help. At the end of the day, Morgan teaches their students to be there for one another, aligning with its motto of “We Are Morgan. We Are Family.”
