When athletes are sidelined by injury, the physical pain often masks a deeper, more invisible wound such as the impact on mental health. For many student-athletes, injury means not only a break from competition but a battle against isolation, fear and doubt.
Ayo Adeola, a former Butler CC track and field runner, shared his experience after breaking his knee during a major tournament.
“I remember lying on the ground, not because of the pain in my knee, but because I already knew,” Adeola said. “This wasn’t just a short break. It felt like everything I had worked for was slipping away.”
The injury affected Adeola beyond the field.
“Mentally, I started doubting myself,” the Butler alum said. “I was frustrated and angry, and I felt like I didn’t know who I was without the sport.”
The emotional burden was worsened by the pressure to stay strong.
“People expected me to stay positive,” Ayo said. “But some days I didn’t even want to get out of bed. I didn’t feel like an athlete anymore. I felt useless.”
Nancy Hamm, Butler CC mental health therapist, works with different types of students to help with a number of mental health concerns.
“One of the most common issues is the disruption to their routine,” Hamm said. “Because student-athletes are so used to a structured schedule, being forced to rest can create anxiety. They start to worry that they’re falling behind, that they won’t be able to catch up or that they won’t return to the level they once were.”
Hamm also added that this worry often leads to deeper emotional struggles.
“We see a lot of anxiety, depression and a crisis of identity,” Hamm said. “For many of these students, their sport has been part of who they are for years. When it’s taken away, even temporarily, they question their worth and wonder where else they belong.”
Ultimately, her message was clear: “Mental health is just as important as physical health. Just like a physical injury, emotional pain needs time, care, and support to heal, and with that, student-athletes can come back stronger not just in sport, but in life.”
To all my fellow student athletes an injury does not define you, but it helps you to grow stronger physically and mentally.