COVID-19 impacts athletes’ mental health
Catholic High AD: ‘They are out of shape physically and emotionally, and hanging by a thread spiritually’
National survey shows that 68% of them have had feelings of anxiety and depression. In Hampton Roads, people are seeing similar traits.
Last March, Catholic High athletic director Lyndsey Boyce gathered all the Crusader athletes together.
She wanted to talk to them about COVID-19 and a possible time schedule regarding when they could return to the field and courts.
“I gathered them all in the bleachers outside and I said, ‘Listen, guys, everybody is saying two weeks, but I’m going to be honest, I think it’s going to be a little bit longer,’ ” Boyce recalled. “But we’re going to be back out here.”
That was six months ago At public schools around Hampton Roads and the state, students still aren’t back in school.
Some private schools, including Catholic, have welcomed students back on campus, but under strict guidelines.
Athletes have been able to condition and lift weights under social distancing. But there won’t be any organized practices or games in the Tidewater Conference for several
months. The conference will hold winter sports from Nov. 9-Jan. 30, fall sports from Feb. 1-March 27 and spring sports from March 29-May
22.
“If you would have told me that we wouldn’t be back on the field until almost 2021,” Boyce said, “I would have been like, ‘You’re crazy.’”
She thought she would have hosted tournaments this summer for spring athletes and definitely this been fall. back on the fields and courts
temporary, “I keep telling and the it kids seems that to this be is heading in a positive direction, but I’ve broken a lot of promises to them since March,” she said. “The longer they are under these restrictions, the greater the ripple effects that this will have on our kids.”
A recent survey of high school athletes across the nation suggests that the cancellation of youth sports since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on their mental health.
The study, completed by a team of physicians, child health experts and researchers from UW Health and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, found that approximately
68 percent of the 3,243 studentathletes surveyed reported feelings of anxiety and depression at levels that would typically require medical intervention — that’s up 37 percent from past research studies.
The study also reported that physical activity levels were 50 percent lower than they were for kids prior to the pandemic and that quality-of-life scores were lower than researchers had ever found in similar studies.
Boyce isn’t surprised by the results. She’s seen first-hand how no sports has affected the athletes.
“I’ve no doubt seen a huge difference in the overall mental health and demeanor of these kids since (COVID-19) started,” she said. “They are out of shape physically and emotionally, and hanging by a thread spiritually. If we’re not just as concerned about the mental health of these student-athletes as we are about COVID, then shame on us.”
Her daughter, Kennedy, is a freshman at Catholic and will play field hockey and lacrosse.
“I see how it’s affected my kid and she’s easy going,” she said. “I just noticed a difference in her not being able to be out there with her team and trying to make new friends as a freshman.”
Catholic senior Joey Kagel said he’ll never forget how he and his teammates felt when they learned the Crusaders would not be playing football this fall.
“Finding out our season was postponed crushed the team,” said Kagel, a lineman. “The best thing for us, though, is having each other and sticking together as a team even though we are training for over a year, preparing for a season that is still not guaranteed to happen.
“As a captain,” he continued, “I have had to calm down my teammate’s fears about the season, even though I do not even have any idea what is going on.”
Dr. Adela Roxas said all of these feelings of stress, anxiety and fear are expected.
Roxas is a licensed clinical, sport and performance psychologist who has a private practice in Virginia Beach. She works with many middle school, high school and college athletes. She also works with professional athletes.
“They’re finding this period very difficult, as many people are, because so much has changed about our day-to-day lives,” said Roxas, who grew up in Hampton Roads and played a variety of sports, including college tennis at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy,
New York. “It’s been really hard on a lot of people. And a lot of people have been experiencing anxiety, depression at times. … It’s been a very difficult adjustment process.” are Roxas accustomed said the to problem structure. is athletes When that’s gone, it creates problems.
“This is a big loss and then suddenly they’re trying to figure out, ‘ Wait, how do I give myself structure?’ ” she said. “It was a big adjustment and it still is, as we’re all still adjusting to these new conditions.” that This Mike is the Biehl first is not time a in part 23 of years fall football. in Biehl, Virginia a former Beach, star was at Salem the High 2001 All-Tidewater Player of the Year and an all-state selection. He also played at Iona before getting into coaching. He spent time at Northern Illinois and Kent State, and in high school at Kellam and Tallwood. He’s been the head football coach at five Nansemond-Suffolk seasons. Academy for imagine “As tough what as it that would is for be me, like to I can’t be a kid yourself in this in situation,” their shoes. he It’s said. not “Put a good things thing. going I on know right there’s now, but worse for some all around of these Hampton kids that Roads, I coach, this and is what they don’t they have hang that their right hat now. on. So, And in that A mindset, teacher it’s recently really difficult.” asked Biehl how “I he kind was of doing. looked at them and said, “This ‘I’m isn’t not normal. doing And well,’ it’s ” he been said. a huge adjustment. But at the end of the day, we all preach that we have to be really thankful for the things that we have. I’m healthy. My wife is healthy. And my two kids are healthy. And all of the kids I coach are healthy.” One of the things Roxas does with her clients is to have them focus on goals, athletically and academically. She tries to encourage them to focus on their strengths and to set up daily schedules even with no sports going on. That could include a workout goal to motivate them. “There’s not really a simple answer,” she said. “But what you can do is still work and develop in your sport even when you can’t predict when you’re going to compete. Again, concentrate on what can I still do. Get them to continue to work and improve.” Rozas said COVID-19 is making athletes seek help. “What I hear from colleagues and what I’ve experienced, the pandemic has definitely kind of increased the number of people who are reaching out for psychotherapy,” he don’t said. want “That’s people a to good be in thing. distress. We But ‘Hey, if I can it means get some people help,’ are then saying, that’s good.” said Kagel, he’s who used also the plays time lacrosse, without stronger football and to train faster. and get bigger, been “I know discouraged a lot of due people to that the post- have ponement justified after of losing the season, something which they is have Kagel, average trying situation. for God’s freshman, time trying Kennedy a to reason. plan.” worked to who to bond over remain Everything see she maintains with Boyce I 4.0. had the just so positive, “But teammates. hoped positives hard need said a is I grade-point happening but have to to for,” being use trust admits of She’s been said this our in a it’s but said. my we “I been first I’m all “This wouldn’t year a definitely just challenge. is just of want say high not not I’m yesterday how school. myself,” depressed, I pictured I think and she yesterday anymore.” as Biehl a coach said isn’t to it set is on important the the example, menu for for even him us though keep his it’s players tough. motivated. He said he must “I think it’s more important more than ever to be a coach who can just be there for these guys,” he said. “I know that’s what we’re trying to do. It hasn’t been easy, but nothing right now is very easy. So, we kind of have to suck it up and do the best we can.”