Student-athlete stress: An examination in United States Collegiate Athletics

It has been well documented that stress can negatively impact the mind and body of long-term sufferers. As well, there is a great deal of literature highlighting the prevalence of stress in athletics. Given the connection between stress and well-being, as well as stress and performance, the focus of the current study was to more completely and directly assess prevalence of stress and specific stressors experienced by collegiate student-athletes in the United States. Participants included students-athletes from a variety of sports, academic years and athletic divisions. Male and female athletes (N= 525) completed a stress appraisal and demographic questionnaire. Qualitative analysis of student-athlete responses yielded the following four most consistently cited stressors: (a) injury, (b) big moments/big games, and (c) fitness/conditioning, and (d) playing time/starting. Recommendations for future research and suggestions for student-athlete programing aimed at minimizing stress will be discussed.