Supporting female athletes' mental health can be very challenging especially if they're in their teenage years. 

A lot of them are very good at hiding their struggles. Some have difficulty communicating their feelings with the people around them. And it's overwhelming. 

So, how can a mom support their daughter's mental health, especially in her struggles during her athletic journey?

Let's get answers and shed light on that question today with the help of our special guest, Sadie Sutton. Sadie is a 19-year-old student-athlete from the Bay Area, currently studying psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She hosts a mental health podcast called She Persisted, which she started after a year and a half of intensive treatment for severe depression and anxiety.

In our latest podcast, Sadie shares helpful insights on how parents can better support their athletes' mental health based on her personal experience as a teenager.

Here’s a sneak peek into our conversation:

What can parents be doing to help support their athlete's mental health? 

As a mom, you can support your daughter's mental health by learning the skills yourself and showing up as a good example for them. 

Observe and notice changes in their behavior and routine. And if they come to you for help, listen and validate their feelings by treating every emotional conversation seriously. To do that, you must take care of yourself.  Your daughter isn't the only one that needs to learn how to cope with these big, overwhelming experiences in life. The emotions that you feel as a result also need to be coped with and, and not dealt with, but worked through. 

Are there any common things that parents do that aren't beneficial and that we should avoid?

Don't rush into problem-solving. Aim to be your daughter's safe space first. Take it one step at a time and help them have the skills to cope by standing up as a good example and having the skills to support mental health for yourself too. 

Invest in yourself.  Your daughter picks up on what you're modeling and you have to know how to support them too.

Any form of mental discomfort or mental health problems would provoke powerful emotions in the parents. So it's advantageous if you can manage your emotions as they occur, whether they're feelings of guilt or shame, perplexity or overburden, sadness, loss, or loneliness.

You can help provide the opportunity for your female athletes to have the skills and improve their mental health on their own, but it's not just them who have to learn these skills. You need it too. 

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Helpful Links:

• Hang out with Sadie Sutton on social @shepersistedpodcast and learn more about working with her!
• Visit our podcast website for more on this episode
• Join our FREE training for Sports Moms - How To Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game So She Believes In Herself As Much As You Do

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