Recognizing Mental Health Warning Signs in Athletes

Recognizing Mental Health Warning Signs in Athletes
A Guide for Coaches | Published by Onrise

You spend more time with your athletes than almost anyone else in their lives. You see them when they’re tired, when they’re frustrated, when they’re pushing through something they haven’t named yet. That proximity is not incidental — it makes you one of the most important people in an athlete’s mental health journey, whether you’ve ever thought of yourself that way or not. You don’t need a clinical background to make a difference. You need awareness, the right words, and the willingness to act.

Why Coaches Are Uniquely Positioned

Most mental health struggles don’t announce themselves. They show up quietly, in the margins of daily life — a slightly shorter fuse, a missed meal, an athlete who used to joke around who’s suddenly very still. Therapists see people once a week in an office. Parents often see a performance their child has learned to give. You see the unguarded moments: the warmup, the locker room, the long bus ride home after a loss. That access is significant. It means you are often the first person who notices something is off, and that early notice can change everything.

Behavioral Warning Signs to Watch For

Withdrawal is one of the most common and most overlooked signals. An athlete who pulls away from teammates, stops joining conversations they used to lead, or seems emotionally absent even when physically present is telling you something without words. Don’t dismiss it as moodiness or introversion. It may be exactly that — or it may be something worth gently exploring.

Irritability is another flag, especially when it’s out of character. If an athlete who typically handles correction well suddenly snaps at feedback, gets into conflicts with teammates, or seems to carry a low-level anger onto the field, pay attention. Irritability is often how anxiety and depression present in young people and in competitive environments where showing sadness feels like weakness.

Changes in appetite and energy matter too. Sudden weight changes, an athlete who stops eating with the team, one who seems exhausted in ways that rest doesn’t fix, or one who’s lost the spark that used to drive them — these are physical signals of something happening internally. They aren’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s just a flatness where there used to be life.

Performance-Based Signs

Mental health struggles don’t stay out of sports. You’ll often see them in performance before you hear about them anywhere else. Watch for a consistent drop in focus or concentration during practice, an athlete who makes uncharacteristic errors under low pressure, someone whose motivation has visibly shifted — they go through the motions but no longer seem to care about the outcome. Fear of failure that feels disproportionate, perfectionism that tips into paralysis, or an athlete who can no longer bounce back from mistakes the way they once did are all signals worth noting.

A Bad Week Versus a Pattern

Everyone has hard stretches. The key question is duration and consistency. A bad week after a tough loss or a difficult exam is normal. What you’re watching for is a pattern — two or more weeks of changed behavior, a cluster of signs appearing together, or a steady downward shift over time. Trust your instincts here. If something feels different, it probably is. You know your athletes. That knowledge is a tool.

Opening the Conversation Without Pressure

You don’t need perfect words. You need honest ones. Try something like: “Hey, I’ve noticed you seem a little off lately — not yourself. I just want to check in. You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to, but I’m here if something’s going on.” Keep it low-stakes and keep it private. A quiet moment on the sideline or after practice works better than a formal sit-down, which can feel like being called into the principal’s office.

What Not to Do

Don’t minimize. Saying “everyone feels that way sometimes” or “you’ve just got to push through” communicates that their experience isn’t worth taking seriously. Don’t pry or push if they’re not ready to talk. Don’t attempt to diagnose or solve the problem yourself. And please don’t let the moment pass entirely because you’re unsure what to say. An imperfect conversation is infinitely better than silence.

How to Refer an Athlete to Support

Connecting an athlete to help isn’t a failure — it’s the follow-through. Most schools and sports organizations have access to counselors or sports psychologists. Know who those people are before you need them. When you make a referral, do it personally: “I’d like to set you up with someone I trust — can I help make that happen?” Walk alongside the process where you can. Your relationship with the athlete doesn’t end when a professional enters the picture. In many cases, your continued presence is exactly what helps them stay engaged in getting support.

Onrise exists to support the people who support athletes. You’re not in this alone.