Crisis & Tragedy
I want to talk about something that doesn’t get talked about enough in athletic environments.
Mental health. The internal struggle that doesn’t show on an x-ray but is just as real as anything that does. The anxiety, the depression, the weight that some people in this room are carrying right now that has nothing to do with the scoreboard and everything to do with how they’re actually doing.
I want this to be a room where that can be named.
Read this passage slowly.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 — NIVLet that sit for a second before you move.
Close to the brokenhearted. Close to those who are crushed in spirit. The presence is specifically where the struggle is. Not on the other side of it. Not available after recovery. Right in the middle of it.
Athletic culture has historically treated mental health struggles as weakness — as something to push through, suppress, perform past. That culture costs athletes in ways that are measurable and serious. The anxiety that doesn’t get addressed affects performance. The depression that isn’t treated affects relationships and development. The crisis that isn’t caught can become a tragedy that didn’t have to be one.
This room is a place where it is safe to not be okay. Not because being not okay is the goal. Because the person who is struggling and doesn’t feel safe naming it is the person who doesn’t get help. And help is available. Real help — from professionals who know what they’re doing and who can offer things that a devotional and a coach cannot.
If you are struggling, tell someone. The athletic trainer. A coach you trust. A teammate. A family member. A counselor. Someone. The brokenhearted don’t have to be alone in it. The help that is close is also available.
The athlete who is struggling and doesn’t feel safe naming it is the one who doesn’t get help. This is a room where it is safe to name it.
Is there anyone in this room — yourself included — who is carrying something right now that is more than the normal difficulty of the season? You don’t have to name details. Just: is this a room where that can be acknowledged?
This question creates permission without requiring disclosure. It should be accompanied by clear, specific information about available mental health resources.
Tell someone. The help is close and it is available. You don’t have to be alone in this.
Before this devotional, prepare a clear list of mental health resources available to athletes in the program. Share them after the devotional.
After any disclosure of mental health struggles, follow up with professional support. This devotional creates the opening; trained professionals provide the care.