05-10-2022, 01:34 AM
With sadness, but out of concern, I am resurrecting this thread. At least two other Division-I female athletes have committed suicide since Katie Meyer.
Wisconsin runner Sarah Shulze
James Madison softball catcher Lauren Bernett
I am at a loss to understand these losses. These were not loners or strung out on drugs or living a marginal existence on the street. All had recent athletic successes, and as far as I can tell, had no academic failures. Clearly, athletic success is not sufficient to prevent suicide.
While these 3 examples are female, I'm sure there are males as well. Whether there are equal numbers is unknown to me. These individuals stand out because they were successful athletes. But any suicide is an equal loss.
I presume most of us went through some level of emotional turmoil during college. What got us through it that might not have been there for these individuals? Was it chance or did we have some advantage?
Personally, I never felt close to that precipice. For me, I was most lonely/depressed at a time that coincided with my best athletic improvement. I always thought I concentrated on my sport at that time in compensation -- my grades dropped as well. My teammates were my friends as I was far from family. High school friends were no longer friends. I had room mates, but they didn't count. As it turns out, just before that time, a school mate (non-athlete) I knew fairly well committed suicide. He died far from school after failing to return to school mid-year, so we only found out when I was sent a newspaper clipping. It seemed incomprehensible to me, as I was the last person at school to have seen him some 3 months earlier, and he was his normal self.
I hope coaches and all the other assistants on teams are instructed on how to create & maintain an environment where there are bonds among teammates so that each person has someone to turn to, or at least someone who may spot signs. I expect many of these individuals are quite capable of hiding their feelings from their parents, coaches, doctors, or others in positions of responsibility. It is harder to hide feelings from roommates and friends.
I wonder how common Impostor Syndrome is in athletes and in college-age suicides.
I hope and expect that Stanford has taken a hard look at the women's soccer team and considered how Katie Meyer might have gotten through her issues, whatever they were (possibly non-athletic and non-academic). Then Stanford can try to generalize and apply that to their entire community (not just athletes). I think it would take more than a course or some required reading or open-door counseling.
Wisconsin runner Sarah Shulze
James Madison softball catcher Lauren Bernett
Quote:On Sunday, April 24, she finished a monster weekend, going 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles in the series finale against Drexel. She hit .778 and drove in seven runs during the three-game set.
On Monday, April 25, she was named Colonial Athletic Association player of the week.
On Tuesday, April 26, she was gone.
Her final at-bat was a home run.
I am at a loss to understand these losses. These were not loners or strung out on drugs or living a marginal existence on the street. All had recent athletic successes, and as far as I can tell, had no academic failures. Clearly, athletic success is not sufficient to prevent suicide.
While these 3 examples are female, I'm sure there are males as well. Whether there are equal numbers is unknown to me. These individuals stand out because they were successful athletes. But any suicide is an equal loss.
I presume most of us went through some level of emotional turmoil during college. What got us through it that might not have been there for these individuals? Was it chance or did we have some advantage?
Personally, I never felt close to that precipice. For me, I was most lonely/depressed at a time that coincided with my best athletic improvement. I always thought I concentrated on my sport at that time in compensation -- my grades dropped as well. My teammates were my friends as I was far from family. High school friends were no longer friends. I had room mates, but they didn't count. As it turns out, just before that time, a school mate (non-athlete) I knew fairly well committed suicide. He died far from school after failing to return to school mid-year, so we only found out when I was sent a newspaper clipping. It seemed incomprehensible to me, as I was the last person at school to have seen him some 3 months earlier, and he was his normal self.
I hope coaches and all the other assistants on teams are instructed on how to create & maintain an environment where there are bonds among teammates so that each person has someone to turn to, or at least someone who may spot signs. I expect many of these individuals are quite capable of hiding their feelings from their parents, coaches, doctors, or others in positions of responsibility. It is harder to hide feelings from roommates and friends.
I wonder how common Impostor Syndrome is in athletes and in college-age suicides.
I hope and expect that Stanford has taken a hard look at the women's soccer team and considered how Katie Meyer might have gotten through her issues, whatever they were (possibly non-athletic and non-academic). Then Stanford can try to generalize and apply that to their entire community (not just athletes). I think it would take more than a course or some required reading or open-door counseling.