One of the biggest precursors to an injury in athletes is stress. Stress is often your body’s reaction to challenges or demands in everyday life. Student-athletes must be able to juggle the stress of academics and the physical demand of their sport. Many times, this stress becomes too much which can lead to an injury. The purpose of this project is to provide student-athletes with education on how to help reduce stress before an injury occurs. Possible ways to reduce stress are the relaxation techniques of mindfulness, deep breathing, and medication. If these techniques do not work, then the athlete should consider receiving counseling. It is also important to educate the athlete on the barriers surrounding mental health and the athletic world. With the education, students will be able to acquire techniques to reduce stress or will be able to find help through professional help. The interventions will help reduce stress in student-athletes which then consequently reduces the risk of injury. It will also hopefully bring awareness of mental health in athletes and help break the stigma surrounding it.

Hannah Burns '23