USA Cheer has partnered with TrueSport, to provide new educational tools to equip coaches, parents and young athletes with the resources to build life skills and core values for success in sports and in life. TrueSport, a movement by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, inspires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to change the culture of youth sport through active engagement and thoughtful curriculum based on cornerstone lessons of sportsmanship, character-building, and clean and healthy performance, while also creating leaders across communities through sport.

Coaching isn’t easy…there is pressure from parents, administrators, and athletes – all with different agenda and needs. These days, helping athletes through mental health struggles and tough times can also be part of your role as a coach. But your mental health matters too. Now more than ever, it’s easy to end up feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and burned out, or simply that you’re taking too much work home from practice.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kevin Chapman, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder of The Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, shares signs that your mental health might be suffering, and when to seek professional help.

Sign #1: Taking things personally

If you find yourself holding back tears or wanting to punch a wall during a practice or competition, that could be a sign that you’re taking your team’s progress entirely too personally, says Chapman. Your emotional wellbeing shouldn’t be dictated by how a practice went, or even by a player on the team who is struggling. If you notice that your emotions are attached to your work and to your players, you need to cultivate some separation. Empathy is important, yes, but not at the cost of your own mental health. You can be empathetic with players and care about their progress without hurting yourself in the process. “If you’re feeling significant distress regularly, it’s time to get help,” Chapman adds.

Sign #2: Trouble controlling emotions

Some coaches are naturally more boisterous than others: Shouting during practice isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you notice that you’re suddenly shouting constantly and you’ve never done so before, that’s another sign of emotional dysregulation. Think of it as a warning sign or a ‘check engine’ light. “If I’m noticing that I’m yelling more than I typically do, or that I’m swearing more than I ever do, then that would mean I’m starting to get dysregulated,” Chapman says. Even if you’re saving the cursing for the coach’s meeting, that could still be a signal that something isn’t right.

Sign #3: Ineffective coaching

It’s no surprise that a coach who’s struggling with their mental health is typically going to be a less effective coach. You’re more likely to be distracted during practices and games, and more inclined to make bad calls. But players can also often sense that something is amiss: Kids have a surprisingly good emotional radar, and they tend to notice when a coach is acting ‘weird.’ Chapman suggests asking yourself practical questions like: “Are my moods impairing my functioning? Am I impaired in my ability to coach effectively? Am I performing poorly because I’m so distressed by my own emotional experiences?”

Sign #4: Sleep disruption

On the more practical side, sleep disruption is one symptom that often goes hand in hand with anxiety, emotional dysregulation, depression, and burnout. Sleep disruption could be insomnia or struggling to get to sleep, says Chapman, or it could be the onset of lingering fatigue that forces you to sleep more than usual. If your sleep schedule has changed dramatically, that’s a signal that something might be wrong. Other physical signs may include things like digestive upset or more frequent headaches.

Sign #5: Unhealthy behaviors on the rise

The last sign is one that will look different for every coach: unhealthy behaviors. For some, this may be as small as suddenly becoming chronically late for everything. For others, it could look like stress eating, or staying up late to watch TV even when you know you need sleep. It could also mean more dangerous behaviors, like drinking more than you usually do, says Chapman. Ultimately, you’re the best judge of if you’re shifting into unhealthy behavior patterns. If you sense that you are, it’s time to get help.

Takeaway

Pay attention to your own emotions, habits, behaviors, and patterns as a coach. It’s time to get help if you’re feeling significant distress regularly.

The TrueSport Champion Network is a community of coaches, parents, program directors, and athletes who believe in the power of youth sport to build life skills and core values for success both on and off the field. Join TrueSport Champion Network to help promote the positive values of cheer, dance, and STUNT!

The TrueSport Coaching Education Program empowers coaches—the most significant influencers in young athletes’ lives—with a transformative learning opportunity to obtain the knowledge and resources to cultivate, champion, and uphold the rich promise and highest potential of sport.

USA Cheer is proud to partner with USADA’s TrueSport® to bring relevant educational content to the Cheer and STUNT community in order to promote a positive youth sport experience. We are excited to provide access to TrueSport’s experts that take coaching beyond skills and help truly develop the overall athlete by building life skills and core values for success on and off the mat, sideline, field, and court.

Feel free to share these resources with your coaching staff, parents, or athletes!

About TrueSport

TrueSport^®, a movement powered by the experience and values of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, champions the positive values and life lessons learned through youth sport. TrueSport inspires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to change the culture of youth sport through active engagement and thoughtful curriculum based on cornerstone lessons of sportsmanship, character-building, and clean and healthy performance, while also creating leaders across communities through sport.

For more expert-driven articles and materials, visit TrueSport’s comprehensive LEARN resource.

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