‘It’s OK to not be OK’: UNA beach volleyball graduate talks importance of being open about mental health
FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) – Being a student-athlete is a lot. Not only do you have to deal with the pressures and demands of playing your sport, but you also have to deal with the everyday challenges that come with being a college student.
That is a challenge recent UNA graduate Mackenzie Martin understands and hopes to spread awareness on as Mental Health Awareness Month wraps up.
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“We look like we just go out there and play but there’s so much more. All that athletes are looking for is somewhere they can play and do their best as well feel supported so they don’t feel all that pressure every moment of their college experience,” Martin said.
As Martin made Florence her home over five years ago UNA was going through the transition to Division I, and beach volleyball was beginning as a new program. And Martin was going through her own transition, facing battles she didn’t even know she was fighting.
“I struggled with anxiety when I played, and I didn’t know it was anxiety until a few years after I played. Figuring out what was right for me to be able to perform in the way that I need to. It honestly took my teammates saying ‘Hey you’ve been struggling a little bit, you’ve not been acting like yourself, you should maybe go to a counselor,'” Martin added.
That safe space that her teammates and the UNA community created made a huge difference in Martin’s mental health journey.
“There are a couple of girls that have come to me and said ‘Wow, you talking about your anxiety has really helped me realize that it’s OK to not be OK,’ and I guess just talking to them and being real with them has really helped them go seek help,” Martin said. “We do a lot of mental toughness training. Analyzing and talking about how we feel and what it means and knowing that it’s OK to feel those things. Some days you’re going to feel more empowered and some days you’re not going to feel that great and that’s OK. It’s one of those things where I know I can call on any one of the girls and they’ve got my back, they know my situation, they know how to help me.”
Now as Martin moves on to the next chapter of her life, she wants the conversations surrounding mental health to continue, so every student-athlete feels valued and can succeed not just on the field or court, but in their everyday life.
“We feel supported throughout whether you’re on the golf team, beach volleyball team, football, basketball, any of those sports, you feel supported from the players, the coaches and the staff. Just knowing that I can show up to any staff’s office and have a real conversation about life and I’m not just a number on a page, I’m not just a statistic to them and I’m a real person. Who I am as a student, as an athlete, as now an alumni, like I’m important to their life and to build this community that we’re building. You can be a number on a page anywhere. But you’re a person and you’re loved,” Martin added.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but Martin hopes the conversations surrounding mental health and supporting student-athletes continues year-round. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health, you can contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or talk to the crisis line by dialing 988 or online.
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