Technology's Impact on Boosting Student Athletes' Mental Health

It’s more important than ever for schools to focus on the mental health of their student-athletes. With pressure from work, studies, and athletics, as well as countless outside stressors from their personal lives, student-athletes can easily become overwhelmed. Investing in the right technology can create a bridge between faculty and student-athletes.

Barriers to Mental Health for Student Athletes

Student-athletes juggle a lot. As soon as classes are over for the day, they have training, practice, and competition. There’s little time to focus on issues they might be having. There is also the added pressure of achieving success on the field. Student-athletes can suffer from low self-esteem and self-worth if they are not performing at a high level and it's unlikely that they’ll seek to improve their mental health without being promoted to do so.

Faculty and staff are also faced with obstacles when it comes to addressing student-athletes and mental health. Time and resources are difficult to come by. There simply isn’t enough time in the day to make personal connections with each and every member of a team or group. 

Communicating With Student Athletes

A texting platform like Cadence allows staff to get answers to basic questions about components including financial aid, registration, and housing at a mass scale. By taking care of administrative tasks more efficiently, there’s more time for advisors, counselors, and coaches to connect with student-athletes once messages are sent. That time is valuable in the fight to combat students’ mental health issues. 

“When I text a student-athlete that they need to get in and see me, in our system, I’ll see the appointment has been made within fifteen minutes after my text”, said Mike Martin, Coordinator of the Academic Advisement and Transfer Services Department at Hagerstown Community College. “Texting has created this massive change in how I operate as an academic advisor.”

Technology that Increases Personalization Will Boost Student Engagement

Colleges and universities will often reach out to students to help them utilize support resources on campus. How those messages are sent matters. Generic bulk emails and group texts that do not address a student-athlete by name can alienate an audience. There can also be a stigma to seeking support for mental health that’s stronger in students who play sports.

With Cadence, you can not only use a recipient’s name but also draw on data to help make a connection. Student-athletes receive hundreds of messages a day. Addressing them by name can help you cut through the clutter and reach them.

“[Texting] is so much more laid back,”  said Mike Martin. “Students are like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool that they’re connecting with me.”

Student burnout is a serious issue in higher education, and the physical and emotional pressures of being a student-athlete can quickly add to that. When staff members take time to reach out and check in with student-athletes, they can build relationships and keep an eye out for potential warning signs of mental health issues. Sending a quick text to your student-athletes will open the lines of communication and let them know that they have someone to turn to whenever they need.