In the end, Carlson was not selected for the Canadian Olympic team, but instead of feeling sad or disappointed, she was relieved that she didn’t have to endure that pressure anymore.
“I can get out of this tough situation and get the help I need,” Carlson said. “That’s when I decided to ask for help for the first time.”
Carlson is not alone.
Recent data from Women and Sport Canada, a non-profit organization that partners with sports organizations, governments and leaders to build better sports through gender equality, found that only one in 10 girls feels well-equipped to talk about their mental health and wellness. being.
Carlson arrived at Florida State University her junior year shortly after making the Olympic team. When she arrived at her new school, she decided to open up to John Proctor, her new high diving coach, and it was then that her mental health began to improve.
The 25-year-old from Fort Frances, Ont., is now a TikTok star and is gearing up for another round in Olympic qualifying. She has also become an advocate for youth mental health and is partnering with the Canadian Coaching Association to raise awareness ahead of World Mental Health Day on Tuesday.
Carlson recommends that any young person struggling with their mental health should start by being curious about their own feelings. For her, this process began with journaling and building a greater understanding of what she needed.
“Until you know deep down that you’re struggling, you wouldn’t want to get help, would you?” Carlson said. “It has to come from within first.
“I would recommend to any young athlete, it’s very easy to talk to yourself about your feelings, and ask yourself some questions.”
Lauren Lafreniere, CEO of the Canadian Coaching Association, said her organization hopes youth and trusted adults will start having more frank conversations with each other. The organization also created a mental health and sports resource center for coaches and volunteers to better prepare adults involved in sports when athletes initiate those conversations or are visibly struggling.
“Just have that conversation, because a lot of people in their teenage years don’t necessarily feel comfortable talking about mental health,” Lafreniere said. “This is just our attempt to continue to help go even further.”
Carlson said that when she reached out to Proctor about her mental health concerns, the best thing he did was listen to her, not immediately give directions on how to fix things. Alex Hodgins, a mental performance consultant for the Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Whitecaps, said Proctor’s approach was exemplary and the format any youth coach should follow when trying to help one of his players.
“Be a listener, not a talker,” Hodgins said. “I think that’s often the first thing that some of these young athletes, both men and women, need: just someone to listen, because maybe they’ve been thinking about these thoughts in their heads for some time.
“Then the most important thing is that coaches have to know where to direct that athlete. And unless they are clinical psychologists or certified counselors, they are probably not qualified to meet that athlete’s needs.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2023.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
