Hey guys, my name is Alina and I am a junior in high school. I have been playing sports probably since the moment I can walk so I created this blog out of my own experiences that I face as a multi-sport athlete. Many athletes like myself identify themselves with the sport that they compete in due to the fact they invest so much time and energy into that one area of their lives. The term “athletic identity” is a relatively new one, but this phenomenon has been around since the beginning of sports. My personal journey as a student-athlete opened my eyes up to how prevalent mental health is among athletes. I was taught to show no weakness and keep pushing even when times get tough. But now more than ever student-athletes are in need of keeping their mental health in check because we don't really know when we are going to get back to playing these sports. 

 

Score Beyond Sports is a community that I wish I had when I was younger. Athletes spend so many years forming this athletic identity that they begin to sacrifice other types of identities available to them in their pursuit of sporting success. There are currently many thousands of athletes worldwide who can no longer use sport to support their athletic identity. To that, I want to bring awareness and allow athletes not to be afraid to touch on mental health. Mental Health impacts everyone, not just those suffering from a mental health illness. Score Beyond Sports was created to give this community a voice and bring awareness to the fact that we are more than our sport. We should be allowed to talk about our feelings and maintain a positive mental health balance. I currently hold a certification in Psychological First Aid from the American Red Cross that certifies me in giving psychological support for myself and for others during COVID-19.

Thank you so much for being part of this community! There are plenty of ways that you can become more involved. Follow us on twitter @scorebyondsp and Instagram @scorebeyondsports to learn more.