Mental health is important for student athletes because of school, sports, social life, extracurriculars– all of which can cause stress on an individual who is trying to balance it all. As a student athlete, taking care of your mental health can help with performance on and off the field. The stigma is that athletes seeking help for mental health is a sign of weakness as well as the fear of rejection/judgement from teammates, coaches, or even parents. As a student athlete myself, I know how hard it can be to juggle everything at once. I have learned that it's okay to talk about what you feel and express your struggles to people. Studies show that while sports can build discipline, communication, and teamwork, they can also increase pressure and mental strain$^1$. Sports provide stress relief, stronger mental health, and well roundedness as a person$^2$. However, it can cause stress on individuals due to balancing sports and academics, and limited outside social interaction and free time$^2$. There should be more resources in schools, sports clubs, teams, etc. for mental health. Team therapists are a good place to start in making a change in this community and to advocate for mental health awareness. Moving forward, we can make it known to people about how harmful it can be to not take care of your mental health properly. Being a student athlete comes with many obligations and responsibilities that can eventually wear a person down, especially during teenage years. My goal is to help make mental health a priority among student athletes and ensure it’s taken as seriously as physical health.