Story 28

Gender: Male
Grade Level of Event: College
Sport Played: Multiple
Your Story: I’m a college therapist-in-training who is near completion of my masters degree in mental health counseling. I have 13 university clients and 5 are female athletes on scholarship. All five come from different athletic programs and all five report cruel, coercive, and abusive relationships with their coaches. All five are afraid to speak up. All five are afraid of being benched or losing their scholarships. All five express symptoms similar to ptsd, such as depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, panic attacks and academic struggles related to the atmosphere of college sports. I’m at a state university in Texas and it seems that the attitude and treatment of college athletes is pervasive and students feel trapped.