Unhealthy Environments: How Unhealthy Coaching Environments can have a Negative Impact on the Mental Health of Young Athletes

By: Sophie Martinelli

Bad coaching

While sports can provide valuable connections between coaches and players, these relationships can also have a significant negative impact on the mental health of young athletes. Many young athletes, driven by desire for success, find themselves exposed to unhealthy coaching environments that lack necessary support for healthy development. Elevated levels of anxiety, stress, and self-doubt can escalate, leaving long-lasting effects on an athletes well being. If left unaddressed, these mental health challenges not only damage the athlete’s current sense of self-worth and joy of the sport but also diminish their ability to achieve personal growth and success for the future.

Having a coach who fails to promote confidence necessary for success can leave a lasting impact on many young athletes. I once played for a coach who failed to support my development both as a player and an individual. Rather than receiving the encouragement and structure I needed, I felt overlooked, under-appreciated, and disconnected from my coach. It wasn’t just the lack of guidance, but the emotional toll of being treated as a tool for success rather than as a person. As the pressure mounted, the joy I once found playing slowly faded, and the sport became a source of stress and growing anxiety.

As athletes, we look to our coaches for guidance, support, and overall, someone who believes in our potential. However, when a coach lacks these qualities to successfully support their players, the impact can be detrimental. I began to question my worth as a player, and motivation became hard to find. I pushed through the emotional strain, convincing myself I had to keep playing, despite the toll it was taking on my mental health.

These same emotions are felt by many young athletes when exposed to unhealthy coaching environments, where pressure and neglect replace support and growth. “Countless athletes have said that the intense atmosphere, often cultivated by coaches, has led to immense stress and taken away the happiness their sports once brought them,” from The Hilltopper, accentuates the reality of athletes who lose the love for their sport solely because of the atmosphere the coach has created. An atmosphere where coaches often unconsciously make players feel worse about themselves, amplifying their emotional struggles, while they are so focused on the quantitative score.

For young athletes, sports are more than just a pastime, they are a sense of identity and belonging. Coaches who foster an atmosphere of excessive pressure can trigger feelings of anxiety, damaging athletes’ mental health. These coaches tend to develop harmful “coaching habits.” Authoritarian Coaching, often viewed as negative, strict, and abusive, exemplifies this issue. According to Sport Social Work Journal, behaviors like “spotlighting, yelling, scolding, bad attitude towards players, rude responses, and choosing favorites,” are common in authoritarian coaching and contribute to “higher player anxiety and performance-related worry,” ultimately reducing self-confidence and restraining skill development needed for success. While these habits are not always intentionally negative towards players, they can become very harmful when a coach has not been properly trained within the system from which they come.

Additionally, when coaches lash out through their own “lack of insight,” they can worsen a situation, reinforcing emotionally abusive atmospheres. Behaviors like dismissive comments and psychological abuse can have long-lasting negative effects on athletes, with resulting stress and anxiety persisting even if they choose to switch teams or programs. Studies show that “close to 85% of student-athletes suffer from anxiety disorder in the United States,” with recurring anxiety being particularly common in highly competitive sports environments, where pressure is predominantly intense. The negativity of authoritarian coaching and the experiences that come from it are directly linked to the elevated levels of anxiety and stress young athletes are facing.

Even when athletes eventually find an environment where coaches help you flourish, the trauma from previous experiences can still continue to affect their mental health and performance. The stress and anxiety once felt still linger within me. There are still moments when I feel pressured to perform at my best, and moments where I feel completely alone, fearing I won’t be appreciated despite giving my all. However, the environment I’m now part of has helped to push those feelings further aside. My confidence and motivation to keep playing has begun to restore thanks to this new, supportive atmosphere–one where my coaches genuinely care about the importance of my role and success on the team. This shows the critical role coaches play in shaping the emotional well-being of athletes. It highlights the need for coaches to create a positive environment that prevents long-term stress and anxiety from taking hold. When coaches prioritize encouragement, development, and emotional support within a structured environment, athletes feel safe and supported by a coach they can trust to help them succeed.

While sports can offer valuable connections between coaches and athletes, these relationships can also negatively impact the mental health of young athletes, particularly when exposed to unhealthy coaching environments. Coaches play a crucial role in shaping an athlete’s experience, and when they cultivate a negative support system, the emotional and psychological toll can be detrimental. The stress and anxiety that arise from such environments will hinder an athlete’s growth and performance, potentially leaving lasting effects beyond the field. By prioritizing the mental and emotional development of young athletes, coaches can ensure their positive impact, helping them succeed both in sport and in life.

Works Cited:

Goodale, Alex. “The Toxicity of High School Sports.” The Hilltopper, May 2022, sites.google.com/students.needham.k12.ma.us/nhshilltopper/past-editions/2021–22-editions/may-edition-2022/the-toxicity-of-high-school-sports.

Hagerty, Shiloh, and Marc V. Felizzi. “(PDF) the Impact of Authoritarian Coaching Styles on Athletes’ Anxious States.” Researchgate.Net, Sport Social Work Journal, Feb. 2023, www.researchgate.net/publication/368673336_The_Impact_of_Authoritarian_Coaching_Styles_on_Athletes’_Anxious_States.

Brenner, Joel S. “Sports Specialization and Intensive Training in Young Athletes | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics.” Publications.Aap.Org, 1 Sept. 2016, publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/138/3/e20162148/52612/Sports-Specialization-and-Intensive-Training-in.

Media, SportsE. “Mental Health Challenges in Youth Sports: The Hidden Struggle.” SportsEpreneur, 9 Oct. 2024, sportsepreneur.com/mental-health-challenges-in-youth-sports-the-hidden-struggle/.

Young, Audrey. “Op-Ed: Are Youth Sports Harming Our Kids’ Mental Health?” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2021, www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-04-10/youth-sports-mental-health-pandemic.