My name is Wade Sheets, and I am from Van Wert, Ohio. I graduated from Convoy Crestview High School. I am a junior here at the University of Dubuque. I am majoring in Human Health Sciences and have the privilege of being a student athlete, as a member of the football team. Being an athlete brings many great things; yet it can present challenges, as well. Some serious issues that athletes may face include depression, anxiety, and other mental ailments, along with social isolation. Personally, I never thought I would deal with any of these, but COVID-19 affected me in ways I hadn’t expected. With help from coaches, counselors, my family, and friends, I have learned how to cope and deal with these issues. An important step for me was crossing the boundary and speaking out to someone about what I was dealing with. I tried to hold everything in and bottle it up as long as I could, I even had thoughts of quitting football. I was so reluctant to see a counselor to talk, but after I did, I was so glad I had done it. After just one meeting, I felt a sense of relief, and I was able to change my outlook on many things, and it truly did bring to light how simple it is to fall into depression, anxiety, or social isolation. This taught me to be more proactive about my own issues, along with checking up on my family, friends and teammates regularly just in case they are struggling with something and need someone to talk to. Another issue I faced was “burn out” due to poor time management and social life imbalance. It is important to maintain good grades and to stay on top of schoolwork and your sport, but too often athletes get “burnt out” by not making time within their schedules to step aside and do things that they enjoy. To combat this, I now prioritize some free time almost everyday to do some things that I really enjoy doing like hanging with friends, being out in nature, fishing, photography, playing video games with friends, watching movies, and more. Besides a win on Saturdays, it gives me something else to look forward to. I used to think I didn’t have the time to do other things I enjoyed, like I could not fit it all in, but by deliberately setting time aside for these activities, it helped me stay on top of my mental health by getting my mind off of the constant grind of school/sports and gave me an opportunity to refresh. I felt like I could accomplish more of the every day things with a clearer and more focused mind and body. Most recently I have dealt with an injury that sat me out of my sport for a month. It was just as much of a mental hurdle as a physical one. I learned to lean on my friends, teammates, and family for emotional support throughout the process of recovery. It’s important to have a good support system in your life as an athlete because sports will always be an emotional roller coaster. Having friends and family who are there for you through the ups and the downs is a very important asset to not only athletes but everyone. While I no longer see a counselor, I know that just reaching out to the circle of support I have in my friends and family helps me sort through any struggles I may be facing.
