Professional Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles, states; “Put mental health first, because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed as much as you want to”. “Data from the American College of Sports Medicine indicates that 35% of elite athletes struggle with eating disorders, burnout, depression, or anxiety (Campbell).As a multi-sport athlete, including being a gymnast, I can definitely say that gymnastics comes with needing a lot of mental strength considering the sport can take a toll on a gymnasts mental health. Mental health as an athlete should be a priority, if you aren’t in the right mental state, how could you expect to do well and succeed at your sport? It goes to show that mental health is …show more content…
Teen girl gymnasts mental health in the United States in the past 10 years has been affected severely due to gymnastics, one of the reasons for that is that gymnasts tend to compare themselves to their teammates or other gymnasts. Comparison can take a huge toll on a gymnast and make a gymnast feel not good enough. Enlightenment thinker, Adam Smith, believed human beings are naturally inclined to view themselves as others see them. We feel the need to succeed and do better around other people which puts pressure on the gymnast and makes them feel as though they need to do better or do as good as another gymnast. Another potential reason for a gymnasts mental health being drained is having a toxic coach. A toxic coach may use negative reinforcement or other abusive tactics to motivate their athletes, this then leading to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Additionally, a toxic coach may create a sense of fear and make gymnasts feel like they always have to perform well in practices and competitions. That kind of behavior