Hypothesis: Sports psychology and life coaching can help athletes learn stress management techniques such as relaxation techniques, visualization, and cognitive-behavioral therapy to reduce stress and anxiety which can help them to avoid turning to substances as a coping mechanism

1. https://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1153&context=mcnair

Background: This study provides insight of why so many athletes turn to drug abuse during their careers. A specific type of drug that is discussed are PED’s (performance enhancement drugs), and how athletes do not just use them to gain an unfair advantage, but to help cope with the amount of pressure athletes can face.

How I intend to use it: Most people see PED’s as just a say for athletes to cheat, but I will use this article to sort of flip the script, and show that it can be used as a coping mechanism. I will also use this article to discuss the accessibility athletes have to drugs. I think PED’s are a good drug to talk about since there are many times athletes have used them, and athletes have been using them for some time now. With this article I can also talk about use Alex Rodriguez as an example of a world class athlete who used PED’s to cope with pressure he faced, instead of just using them to cheat.

2. https://www.michaelshouse.com/drug-abuse/injury-concerns-abuse-athletes/

Background: This article talks about proscribed drugs that athletes can be given and how athletes can become addicted to them. If an athlete does become addicted it normally happens after an injury. This article also briefly talks about how young athletes can also become addicted to prescribed drugs, along with professionals. This can help show that drug abuse can happen in athletes of a wide age range. It gives examples of athletes who dealt with addiction to prescribed drugs, also talks about how addiction can happen during, and after a athletes career.

How I intend to use it: I will use this article to discuss another aspect of drugs athletes can become addicted to. I will also use this information to talk about specific professional athletes to help provide more insight of what they actually go to if they become addicted to proscribed drugs. This article will also help me explain how the pressure athletes face can come from the teams they play for.

3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-016-0492-2

Background: This article reviews the mental health and well-being of athletes. Some aspects that can cause disorders are things like injuries and retirement. This is interesting because injuries can be avoidable, to an extent, but every single athlete will retire at some point in their careers.

How I intend to use it: This article will help me go into more depth of how injuries can not only affect a athlete physically, but also emotionally. I can also bring in a new circumstance that can affect mental health in athletes, with the dealing of retirement.

4. https://achieveconcierge.com/blog/the-link-between-athletes-and-depression/

Background: This article discusses depression among student athletes. The article uses statistics to show the rates of depression in student athletes compared to students who do not play a sport. It is found that since student athletes face higher amounts of pressure, it can also cause higher amounts of stress and are more likely to become depressed. This article also goes into how having performance issues can cause depression.

How I intend to use it: I will use this article to provide background on depression among student athletes. I want to show that it doesn’t matter if you are a professional athlete or a student athlete, they can both suffer from depression. With this article I can talk about a new circumstance that can cause stress and depression, which is having performance issues. Having performance issues can cause extreme stress in all types of athletes because that is their passion/job. So if they are having issues performing well it can mean they will lose an opportunity, or under extreme measures, their job.

5. https://alcoholrehabhelp.org/blog/athletes-alcoholism/

Background: This article goes over the many aspects of alcohol addiction in athletes. It gives statistics regarding alcohol abuse and athletes, why athletes turn to alcohol and how it can affect the way they play. It also gets into alcohol abuse among student athletes. For the student athletes, it gives solutions for parents and teachers to use to help their young athletes.

How I intend to use it: This article gives me the opportunity to talk about another substance athletes can abuse in alcohol. And since alcohol is a easy substance to obtain I feel it is important to talk about the problems facing alcoholism in athletes. I will also use this article to talk about a variation of alcohol abuse which is binge drinking, and the many negative affects it can have on student athletes.

6. Mental Health in Athletes: Moving beyond the Stigma

Background- This article goes into a various amount of things. Some of these things are, why athletes suffer, what factors go into the suffering and why there is a stigma around the mental health of athletes. 

How I intend to use it- I will use this article to describe the reasons why athletes won’t speak up on their mental health, like the fear of judgment and disappointing others. 

7. Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment

Background- This article talks about the various strategies that can be used to make sure that stress and anxiety don’t get the best of us. It also argues that it is better to not stay calm before big moments.

How I intend to use it- I will refute this article. I plan to use the quotes listed as ways to show that it is better to stay calm instead of allowing yourself to remain anxious during high stake situations. 

“Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School found, in four studies “involving karaoke singing, public speaking, and math performance,” that “reappraising anxiety as excitement” led to better performance.”

“recognizing that you are feeling anxious, and naming the source of your anxiety”

“the contestant who is excited rather than anxious will get the most out of their body during the action to follow.”

“the evolutionary goal of the stress response was to help boost the body and mind into enhanced functioning, to help us grow and meet the demands we face”

“The key to ‘owning’ your stress is to recognize that we tend to stress more, and more intensely.”

“and it’s as useful for an office worker as it is for an Olympic sprinter.”

“It’s better, this research argues, to embrace your anxiety”

8.  Drug Fact Sheet

Background- This article is about anabolic steroids. It goes into the specific types, both medical terms and street names, how they can get used, like injections and gels. It also goes into how they can be abused and the many effects it can have on both the mind and the body. 

How I intend to use it- I will use this article to further define what ped’ are. And this article will help me talk about anabolic steroids specifically, because those are the types of steroids that are commonly found in athletes. 

9. 7 Athletes That Have Struggled With Mental Health

10. Common Prescription Medications Used in Athletes

11. Why Would An Athlete Work With a Wholistic Coach?

12. 30 Famous Athletes Who Have Battled Drug Addiction and Alcoholism

13.