Helping Athletes Manage Pressure, Protect Their Mental Health

Every student-athlete should have the opportunity to perform at their best and grow through the game – both on and off the field. The mission of education-based athletics always extends beyond wins and losses. The goal is for athletes to graduate with life-long values and qualities that will serve them long after the last whistle blows such as resilience, discipline, focus and a belief that they can do difficult things.

In today’s landscape, this mission feels more important than ever. High school athletes face pressures unlike any previous generation – 24-7 social media comparisons, scholarship expectations, identity tied to performance, and the constant need to meet external standards.

As Tim Elmore writes in Generation Z Unfiltered, “today’s students aren’t fragile – they’re untested.” The role of educators, coaches and leaders is to create environments that help them challenge themselves, learn from adversity, and find strength in connection rather than comparison.

How Athletic Departments Can Lead the Way
Supporting the mental well-being of student-athletes starts with intentional leadership from athletic administrators. These leaders can set the tone by prioritizing the “whole athlete” – developing systems, training and conversations that normalize topics like mental health, pressure and a performance mindset.

This objective has been approached in several key ways at Prescott High School in Arizona.

• Coach Education: Coaches are trained not only in X’s and O’s, but in relational coaching – understanding how to connect, motivate and respond with empathy. Our monthly “Coaches Professional Development Chats” often center around leadership, communication and how to help athletes navigate stress or disappointment.

• Mentorship and Culture: Through programs like a Student- Athlete Leadership Team, athletes are empowered to lead from within. They learn how to support teammates, resolve conflict, and build inclusive team cultures that value both accountability and compassion.

• Community Partnerships: By collaborating with sports psychologists, nutritionists and physical therapists, athletic departments and coaches can build a network of experts who reinforce consistent, research-based messages about health, confidence and balance.

These efforts serve as reminders that mental performance isn’t a separate skill – it is embedded in everything coaches and athletic directors do. The way you talk after a loss, the feedback given in practice sessions, or how you respond to injury all teach athletes how to cope with life beyond sports.

“The CanDo Performance Assessment was never just about measuring performance – it’s about understanding the athlete as a whole person. When we integrate the physical, mental and emotional components of sport, we give students the tools to handle pressure, recover from setbacks, and perform with purpose. That’s where true confidence and long-term success begin.” — Dr. Rich Tenney, PT, DPT, PRC

A Holistic Model in Action
One of the most effective tools to bring this philosophy to life is the CanDo Performance Assessment. The CanDo system was co-created by Dr. Rich Tenney and Spencer Meyer, as a collaboration between sports medicine and mental performance disciplines. Their shared vision was to evaluate athletes holistically – physically, mentally and emotionally – while providing actionable strategies that enhance both well-being and competitive excellence.

At Prescott High School, this model is used as a framework for conversation, not comparison. It helps athletes and coaches look beyond numbers to understand how nutrition, movement and mindset work together. More importantly, it encourages reflection – helping athletes see that pressure is not the enemy, but an opportunity to grow.

• Through guided exercises, journaling and mental skills training, athletes learn to:

• Identify personal motivation and values.

• Manage emotions in high-stress moments.

• Refocus after mistakes.

• Support teammates through shared challenges.

These lessons help redefine success – not as perfection, but as progress.

Teaching Resilience Through Adversity
Adversity is inevitable in sports – what matters most is how the person responds to the adversity. Whether it is an injury, a missed play or a season-ending loss, these are the moments that shape character. Coaches help athletes to see setbacks not as verdicts, but as a form of feedback.

When an athlete struggles with confidence, coaches can be trained to ask reflective questions instead of offering quick fixes:

• What did you learn from that play?

• How can you adjust next time?

• What are you proud of despite the outcome?

Over time, this mindset builds what is referred to as the “Can- Do Generation” – athletes who believe in their ability to adapt, persist and improve.

Supporting Coaches in Supporting Athletes
The truth is that coaches are also under pressure. Balancing team success with student well-being can be challenging. This is why athletic departments should also invest in the mental fitness of their coaching staff.

Schools need to provide intentional spaces for reflection and growth among their coaches – discussing real-life scenarios, communication strategies, and the balance between accountability and empathy. When coaches feel supported, they are better equipped to support their athletes.

As John McAkey once said, “Leadership isn’t about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in your charge.” This philosophy should be at the heart of education-based athletics and the work that athletic administrators do every day.

Why It Matters
When you teach young people how to manage pressure, face adversity and support one another, you are not just building better athletes, you are building stronger human beings.

The scoreboard will always matter, but the greater score is measured in how our student-athletes grow – how they handle a loss, how they lift each other up, and how they carry the lessons of sport into every aspect of their lives.

When education-based athletics is the foundation of your program, every game, practice session and conversation becomes an opportunity to learn courage, compassion and confidence. Because when athletes know how to respond to life’s most difficult moments, they can truly say: I can do hard things.

Missy Townsend is the athletic director and assistant principal at Prescott High School in Arizona.