Coach Tom Walter
Photography by Emma Joseph
If you’re reading this, we have ALL got to be more intentional about taking care of our mental health and taking care of each other.
To Our Young People:
You are our nation’s most valuable commodity. Your generation is more civic minded and socially responsible than any generation prior. I love that about you. You are also the generation that feels more stress and more anxiety than any generation prior. This isn’t a good or a bad thing, it is simply a product of the world you live in. You live in a world where you are constantly comparing yourselves to others on social media and in a world where you are constantly being judged by everyone for everything you say or do. In order to thrive in this new world we have ALL got to be more intentional about taking care of our mental health and taking care of each other.
I have been a Division 1 head baseball coach for nearly 30 years. For the first 20 or so of those years the mental health of our players was not on my radar screen. In the past 10 years, I have seen my level of concern for the mental wellbeing of our players double each and every year. My GREATEST fear is that one of our players will make a rash decision with his life that is irreversible. As such, we have a greater responsibility to care for the mental health of our players than ever before. We have got to provide them with the tools and the resources they need to become comfortable in their own skin and wake up each day and view the world they live in with hope, possibility and positivity.
When dealing with male athletes who pride themselves in being tough, resilient and competitive, we have got to get them to understand that struggling with your mental health is NOT a sign of weakness. Rather, it is just like a sprained ankle or any other physical
injury. It requires a consistent and intentional plan. Sometimes it requires professional care and sometimes self-care can work. Getting them to be honest with themselves and trusting their coaches and teammates enough to be vulnerable is the key. Being competitive, all they need to do is make their mental health a priority. When it becomes a priority, they find a way. We have counselors on standby at Wake (both in Athletics and on campus) and we provide them with everything from breathing techniques to meditation techniques and in between so they can figure out what works for them.
Finally, as coaches we need to be the example. We need to be vulnerable with our guys and we need to get to know them and what makes them tick on a deep and personal level. That way we can meet them where they are and know intuitively when something is not right. Our guys who spend the most time caring for their mental health and well-being are consistently our best performers. Please, please, please make mental health a priority in your life. Find someone you can be vulnerable with and share your deepest and darkest fears with. We are counting on you.
Sincerely,
Coach Tom Walter., Wake Forest University
Head Baseball Coach
Connect With Us
To follow IfYoureReadingThis at Wake Forest on Instagram, get in touch with our chapter, and learn about more resources available to Wake Forest students, visit our chapter’s homepage.
