The Mental Strain of Constant Achievement and How Podium X Can Help
Athletes understand pressure. The pressure to make the shot. The pressure to win the game. But there is also the constant pressure to be more, to do more, to achieve more. It is the nature of the beast, and if they are a competitor – which all high-level athletes are – they often accept that challenge and dig in.
The pressure to reach the next level is relentless. It begins in the early years, with the scramble to make the best club team. Then, it’s about becoming a starter—first in club ball, then in high school. The stakes only rise from there: securing a spot on a college roster,and fighting for a place in the starting lineup. All the while, you’re chasing not just victories, but accolades—individual honors, team trophies, championships. The weight of it all is a constant, pounding beat, urging you to be better, to be enough. And for college athletes, it’s often more than half a lifetime spent in the pursuit of a single goal: to succeed in a sport that has consumed almost every waking moment. The tension is always there, a steady hum, reminding you that nothing less than the best will do.
This drive for success, however, comes with a toll. Research shows that the mental stress placed on collegiate athletes to continuously achieve more can be overwhelming. A study published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that student-athletes experience higher levels of stress than their non-athlete peers, primarily due to the pressure to excel in both their sport and their academics.
Moreover, the pressure to succeed is compounded by the pervasive culture of perfectionism within collegiate athletics. Athletes are frequently expected to not only meet but exceed expectations. In a study from the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, athletes reported feeling an intense need to prove themselves, both on the field and in the classroom, and to maintain a high level of performance, which can lead to chronic stress and anxiety. The internal dialogue of “I need to be the best” can contribute to feelings of inadequacy when performance dips or injuries occur.
At some point, most athletes know there is going to be an end. And the identity they have established – the one where everyone they care about knows them as a high-achieving athlete – gets rattled. Because they have been one with their sport for so long that it is hard to fully understand themselves without it.
The psychological toll of this pressure can leave athletes vulnerable to identity crises, especially when transitioning out of competitive sports. The American Psychological Association notes that many collegiate athletes struggle with self-worth and depression after their playing careers end, as their sense of identity was so tightly bound to their sport. When the game stops, they are often left grappling with the question: Who am I without my sport?
And as they turn to finding a career beyond athletics, the next question becomes: I have fought so hard to be enough in my sport, can I be enough without it?
The answer is: Yes.
The skills that athletes develop over years of competition—such as discipline, resilience, teamwork, and leadership—are highly transferable to careers outside of sports. Podium X, an application which approaches athletic experience as career experience, works with tens of thousands of athletes on a daily basis as they transition into careers after their athletics are over.
Ann Schulz, President of Podium X, says “We want every athlete to know that their athletic experience will provide them with tools that have value. Even more importantly, embracing their athletic experience when seeking employment will be an advantage, not a hindrance.”
Podium X helps relieve anxiety for many athletes when they realize they have a tool that will help highlight their soft skills and translate their achievements into a compelling reason to hire them.
Anna Dixon, former Florida Gator volleyball star who now plays professionally for the Atlanta Vibe, suffered a collegiate career ending injury that left her in a troubled state when trying to figure her next move. She shared the relief she felt when Podium X helped her understand and showcase her transferable winning skills beyond athletics.
“My injury not only took volleyball away from me, but it made me realize how much of my identity was in my sport,” Dixon says. “I was lost and had no confidence in my ability to do anything other than volleyball. I had no idea what else I was good at. I later realized that volleyball isn’t my identity BUT it is what makes me, me! I am a leader, a hard worker, someone who loves high pressure situations and can problem solve with a team. Podium X relieved my anxiety and helped me realize that these traits I possess from sports set me up for success in whatever I choose to put my mind to in my future career.”
Podium X’s tagline is Not Done Winning. The company’s hope is that athletes understand that the reasons they are winners go far beyond their athletic ability. Those qualities will carry on throughout their journey if they bring those winning traits with them into the next stages of their lives.
And Podium X will be there to help them succeed and to take some of the pressure off.