We hear a lot about what coaches and organisations think about mental health in sport. But what about the athletes themselves — the young people at the centre of it all? As part of the MINDFit project, we spoke with two athletes, Elena and Paula Konopka, about their personal experiences with mental health, the pressures they face, and what kind of support they wish they had.
The Pressure Behind the Performance
For many young athletes, the mental side of sport is something they experience every day but rarely talk about. The pressure to perform, fear of disappointing coaches and teammates, and the constant comparison with others can take a heavy toll.
Both Elena and Paula described moments where mental challenges affected their performance more than any physical limitation. The weight of expectations — from coaches, parents, and themselves — can feel overwhelming, especially during critical moments like competitions or selection trials. As young athletes, they often feel they must project strength and confidence, even when they are struggling internally.
When Nobody Asks How You’re Really Doing
One of the most striking themes from the conversation was the feeling of isolation. Training environments are often focused entirely on physical progress — times, distances, scores — with little space for emotional check-ins. Athletes described feeling that their value was measured solely by their performance, which made it even harder to speak up when something was wrong.
The culture of “push through it” is deeply ingrained. Athletes learn early on that showing vulnerability can be seen as weakness, and that admitting to mental struggles might cost them their place on the team or their coach’s confidence. This creates a cycle of silence where athletes suffer alone rather than risk being judged.
What Athletes Actually Need
When asked what kind of support would make a real difference, both athletes were clear: they don’t need a psychologist sitting in the stands. What they need is a coach who notices, who asks, and who listens without judgement.
Small gestures matter enormously. A coach who takes a moment after training to ask how someone is feeling. A team environment where it’s normal to say “I’m not okay today.” Resources that are designed for athletes — not generic mental health advice, but tools that address the specific situations they face: dealing with a bad match, coping with injury, managing the fear of failure, or handling conflicts within a team. That is unique approach that athletes mentioned as a crucial.
The Role of Peers and Team Culture
Both Elena and Paula emphasised that mental health support shouldn’t just come from the top down. The team itself plays a crucial role. When teammates are open about their struggles, it normalises the conversation for everyone. When a player makes a mistake and the team rallies around them instead of criticising, it builds resilience far more effectively than any motivational speech.
They described how a supportive team culture can be transformative — turning a group of individuals into a unit that lifts each other up, both on and off the field. Conversely, a toxic environment where mistakes are punished and emotions are suppressed can drive young athletes away from sport altogether.
A Message to Coaches and Organisations
If there is one message that comes through clearly from these testimonials, it is this: athletes are ready to talk about mental health. They want to. What they need is permission — a signal from their coaches and their clubs that it is safe to do so.
They don’t expect coaches to have all the answers. They don’t need a perfect system. What they need is authenticity — a coach who is willing to say, “I’m here if you need to talk,” and who means it. Simple tools, short conversations, and a genuine interest in the whole person behind the athlete can go a long way.
Looking Forward with MINDFit
Projects like MINDFit are vital because they give athletes a voice in a conversation that has been dominated by institutions for too long. By listening to what young athletes actually experience and need, we can build better support systems — ones that are practical, accessible, and rooted in the reality of sport.
Elena and Paula’s willingness to share their experiences is a powerful reminder that behind every performance, every score, and every medal, there is a young person navigating the complex intersection of sport, identity, and mental well-being. Their stories deserve to be heard — and acted upon.