As a team-sport athlete, I have made many lifelong relationships with people who were complete strangers before our connection through sports. Relationships that become more than just on the field or on the court. Having healthy and comfortable relationships with teammates and coaches makes it easy to enjoy the game you love. Although there are many athletes that end up quitting a sport because of the mental struggle they face. Before the COVID lockdown, I was a high energetic person, with an approachable personality. In my 8th Grade year, fresh out of the COVID lockdown, I faced a new challenge of social anxiety due to little to no in-person interaction. This new trait of mine made it hard to lead as a quarterback and ultimately affected my performance levels. I knew it would be difficult to tell people that I had anxiety because I was always known as this “big time football player”, that is always smiling and happy. I thought people would laugh or find my anxiety as a joke, which led to more anxiety. In that same year, I was benched for the back-up quarterback. This lack of confidence continued throughout my 9th grade year as I was a decent quarterback on the C-squad. I continually made mental errors and missed plays that I know I was capable of making.

Fast forward to my sophomore year, I just transferred to the school that I always dreamed to play for as a kid – my tribal school that all of my family and relatives attended. In football, I led the state in passing and rushing yards, and earned multiple recognitions, including WIAA Athlete of the Week. We ended the season with the best record in school history. In the winter, I’m starting games in basketball, making a huge difference from the year before. Winning the league championship was just a small step to where we ended. Making the State Championship was a dream come true, and although we didn’t win, it was an honor to play on the biggest stage in the state. Trying a new sport can be quite intimidating, as I recently tried track for the first time. The same results are being produced. I made it to the State Championships in multiple events, representing my school in front of the whole state.

I finally recovered. After surrounding myself with the teammates and coaches that boosted my confidence, I was able to recover from anxiety and the fear of failure. My sophomore year is the high school sports story that I will tell for the rest of my life. It describes the importance of mental health and how sports can help with more than just your physical health. People were telling me not to go to a 2B school. They said, “No colleges will look at you.” Transferring schools could be the best thing that ever happened to me. I was able to find happiness in the sports that I love again. I enjoy being a student-athlete at this school. Surrounded by my peers that are Native American like me. From my view, I’d describe suffering from anxiety as a “loop” or “cycle” that repeats over and over again. My teammates made me feel like that captain I once was. And my coaches gave me that trust that I once had. All of this new confidence and positive aura made it possible to be a part of the WIAA Leap Committee and share experiences like this. As athletes, not valuing your mental health can be detrimental to your peak performance in your sport. It can also cause issues outside of sports. My advice to those suffering from mental health issues is to make the decisions that YOU believe are best for you. Don’t allow anyone to dictate your decisions. Talk to someone who is willing to listen. Set goals that you can achieve. These are all small steps that you can take to expand your comfort zone. I am beyond grateful for the discipline, happiness, and relationships high school sports have given me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am excited to be a part of change for student-athletes all across the state.