Football & your mental health

Summer practices, film sessions and long bus rides build bonds that can last a lifetime. Many former players say their teammates were like family.

The CDC says strong social connection can lower the risk of depression and anxiety and help people cope with stress.

The routines of football can help young people manage time, build habits and push through hard days. Those skills carry into school, work and family life.

Football has room for many body types and skills. Knowing your job, and that others are counting on you, can build confidence and a sense of purpose.

Every player has bad games, losing seasons and plays they wish they could take back. Learning to reset and keep going is practice for life’s harder moments.

A quick reset between plays

1. Take one slow breath out.
2. Say a short cue: “Next play.”
3. Focus on your assignment for this snap only.

Teams protect each other. Telling a teammate, coach or trainer that you are having a hard time is the same instinct, turned toward yourself.

Soreness after a hard practice is normal. A head injury, sharp pain or numbness is not something to push through. Hiding injuries can turn a short absence into a long one.

Ideas for coaches

• Say out loud that reporting injuries and struggles is respected
• Check in with players one on one, not only as a group
• Praise effort and character, not only results
• Know where to refer a player who needs mental health support
• Share your own stories of hard times, if it feels right

Many players worry that reporting symptoms will cost them playing time. But playing while your brain is still healing can lead to a longer recovery.

If a teammate seems dazed, confused about the play, unsteady, or “not right” after a hit, tell a coach or athletic trainer straight away.

The CDC’s HEADS UP program offers free training for coaches, parents and athletes.

Being away from the team, missing games and not feeling like yourself can bring sadness, irritability or worry. These feelings are common and usually ease as you recover.

The CDC says scientists are not certain which symptoms are directly linked to CTE, and do not know how many people have or will develop it. Earlier studies suggest CTE is likely very rare.

There is no strong evidence that getting one or more concussions, or occasional hits to the head, leads to CTE.

In a 2024 Harvard study of 1,980 former professional players, about 1 in 3 believed they had CTE. Those players were about twice as likely to report thoughts of suicide or self-harm, even after accounting for depression.

The researchers warned that putting every symptom down to CTE can lead to hopelessness, and that many symptoms may have other, treatable causes.

The Harvard team pointed to sleep apnea, low testosterone, high blood pressure, chronic pain and depression. All are common in former players and can cause problems with thinking, memory and concentration.

They suggested former players and their clinicians focus on what can be treated, and that steps like better sleep, exercise and healthy eating may help thinking.

In its 2015 policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed the research on football injuries, tackling, and the possible effects of limiting or delaying tackling.

Questions to ask a youth program

• How do coaches teach safe tackling and blocking?
• How much full-contact practice is there each week?
• Is there an athletic trainer at games and practices?
• What is the concussion plan?
• Is there a flag football option?

Girls’ flag football in U.S. high schools more than doubled in one year, reaching 42,955 players in 2023–24.

Flag football keeps the strategy, speed and teamwork of the game with far fewer head impacts. It can be a great way for kids, teens and adults to play.

For parents

• Ask “Did you have fun?” before “Did you win?”
• Let them try other sports and have free time
• Keep the ride home calm and kind
• Take their worries about getting hurt seriously

Linemen may feel pressure to gain weight quickly. Other players may feel they need to be leaner or more muscular. Extreme eating or training to change size can harm your body and mood.

Changing weight in a healthy way is best done with guidance from a clinical provider, athletic trainer or dietitian.

The CDC says people who exercise on hot days are more likely to become dehydrated and develop heat-related illness.

CDC tips for athletes

• Drink more water than usual, without waiting until you’re thirsty
• Ease into training in the heat
• Practice early or late, when it is cooler
• Watch your teammates, and ask them to watch you
• If you feel faint or weak, stop and get to a cool place

Many former players live with sore joints and old injuries. Ongoing pain can affect sleep, patience and mood. Pain deserves care, not silence.

Talk with your clinical provider about pain that affects your daily life. Physical therapy, movement and pain coping skills can help.

Feeling lost, low or restless after your last season is common. You may miss the locker room, the noise of the crowd, or simply knowing what to do each day.

Give yourself time. Talking with other former players, coaches or a counselor can help you make sense of the change.

Questions to ask yourself

• What did I love most about football?
• Which skills from the game do I use elsewhere?
• Who am I besides a player: friend, sibling, parent, student, worker?
• Where could I find teamwork and purpose now?

Many former players find meaning in coaching youth teams, officiating, volunteering or playing adult flag football. Giving back can bring back some of the purpose and belonging you miss.

Fantasy leagues can be a fun way to stay in touch with friends. Betting apps make it easy to wager on every game and even every play.

Warning signs include chasing losses, hiding bets, borrowing money, or your mood depending on your bets more than on the game.

Being disappointed after your team loses is part of caring. It usually passes within a day.

Ways to cool down

• Step away from replays, talk radio and social media
• Go outside, or throw a ball around
• Eat a proper meal and drink water, not only alcohol
• Remember that the players are people too

A study of NFL Sundays found that when the local team lost a game it was expected to win, police reports of men’s violence against wives and girlfriends at home rose by about 10%. The rise was concentrated near the end of the game.

Football does not cause abuse. But strong emotions and drinking can make things more dangerous where abuse is already happening.

Try this

1. Find a private moment, like after practice or on a drive.
2. Say what you’ve noticed: “You haven’t seemed like yourself.”
3. Ask: “How are you really doing?”
4. Listen without judging or fixing.
5. Offer to help them talk to a coach, trainer or counselor.

Alumni groups, former player associations and informal meetups can help people feel less alone with injuries, identity changes and health worries.

Partners, parents and children often notice changes in mood, sleep, temper or memory before the player does. Gently sharing what you’ve noticed, and offering to go to an appointment together, can help.