The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness college basketball tournament begins around mid-March each year, running until the championship game is played on the first Monday of April. The nearly month-long event is marked by anticipation and excitement not just for steadfast fans of college basketball, but by casual observers who rally around the tournament with a similar sense of festiveness that the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games bring. It has become a cultural phenomenon. The sentiment is certainly felt on college campuses, and particularly in the locker rooms of the over 2,000 athletes from the 68-team field that collectively participate in the Men’s and Women’s divisions. It’s this group that today’s feature on March Madness mental health is focused on.
Moving through the playoff season, Kindbridge encourages student athletes engaged in the tournament to be more mindful of their mental and emotional wellbeing. Awareness about mental health triggers and challenges is crucial because contrary to the stereotype of the “invincible” competitor, athletes generally experience mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and burnout at rates that are higher than the general population. Because elite athletes are often trained to mask pain and discomfort (physical or otherwise) identifying specific triggers and challenges is essential to prevent a “vicious cycle” where poor mental health leads to a negative outcome, and that negative outcome further worsens mental health. Awareness also creates an opportunity to transform unexpected, overwhelming emotional reactions into manageable, understandable, and preventable experiences.
While centered on the tournament, the mental health checklist of triggers and challenges below applies to any student athlete participating in (or with aspirations to participate in) future tournaments for their athletic endeavor, be it the College Football Playoff (CFP), College World Series, or NCAA tournaments for soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and other sports that are growing in popularity with each passing year.
Overview of Mental Health Challenges Student Athletes May Face During NCAA March Madness (and how to overcome them)
Managing Pressure to Win
This is the most widely recognized among March Madness mental health challenges for participating players. Pressure to perform during the tournament constitutes a significant trial, often resulting in aforementioned instances of anxiety, depression, and burnout. The “win or go home” format particularly intensifies these pressures, forcing young athletes to operate in high-intensity environments where mistakes are magnified, leading to fear of failure, and possibly literal failure to perform.
“Stress and anxiety are very common in high-pressure situations and what we see most often. They can have a real impact on a person’s performance. Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, sweating, increased heart rate and trembling/shaking may be the difference between a basket and a missed shot. But there are many instances where an athlete looks fine but is experiencing what is called cognitive anxiety (e.g., racing/clouded thoughts, fear of failure, doubt in abilities, poor decision making, etc.). These can be just as detrimental to performance and require different skills to manage.” (How Student Athletes Handle March Madness, University of Kentucky)
Managing Pressure from Sponsorship Obligations
The recent allowance of college basketball athlete sponsorship through name, image, likeness (NIL) deals (view more) has empowered players financially, but it has become a source of pressure during the March Madness tournament. The pressure to perform has evolved, not just to win for the sake of the school program, but to satisfy sponsorship obligations. Consequently, student-athletes are increasingly viewed as “business assets” with a burden to maintain a marketable image while constantly delivering high-level results. This can be extremely overwhelming.
Managing Pressure of Future Prospects
Managing pressure from potential sponsorship obligations aligns with the pressure of what tournament performance means for an aspiring professional athlete’s future. The intense pressure on tournament participants to perform at an elite level to secure an NBA or WNBA draft spot is a significant, well-documented mental health challenge. This pressure is often exacerbated by the “win-at-all-costs” culture, the fear of losing eligibility, and the need to maintain a favorable public image which also influences desirability on the draft market. While only a small percentage of players will be eligible and considered for the NBA/WNBA draft, this particular pressure also applies to those who want to transfer to another school and program through the NCAA Transfer Portal system (view more).
Managing Pressure from Fans
There are two angles to this trigger and challenge to player mental health. Traditionally, student athletes on the court face intense ridicule from fans of the opposing team in the form of jeers when at the free throw line or when returning to the bench at intermission, et cetera. They also face audible/visual contempt by their own fan base when they don’t perform to expectations. While most certainly a mental health challenge, it is one that has existed since the beginning of spectator sports.
Unfortunately, pressure from fans has evolved to feature derision from sports bettors, who as of 2018, are legally permitted to wager on the NCAA March Madness tournament. The NCAA launched a study on the matter in 2024 (view here) and uncovered troubling statistics. They found that angry sports bettors drive as much as 45% of all abuse surrounding major sports tournaments, with 80% of the abuse specifically directed at March Madness student-athletes. Communications laden with sexual abuse, racism, and homophobia/transphobia are among the most common harassment categories, with women’s basketball student-athletes receiving approximately 3 x more threats than their male counterparts during March Madness.
Managing Campus Gamification of March Madness
Carrying over from the sports betting issue above, is the gambling phenomenon occurring directly on college campuses. Sports betting on campus has experienced a rapid rise, with March Madness serving as a major catalyst for increased participation among students. The combination of widespread mobile betting, legalized sports wagering in over 35 states, and intensive marketing has led to a significant increase in on-campus gambling, particularly during the NCAA tournament. A recent NCAA survey found that two-thirds of students living on campus are bettors, with 41% having wagered on their own school’s teams. Imagine the pressure that a player participating in March Madness feels leading up to, during, and after the tournament, knowing that a large proportion of their fellow students are gambling on their performance? It’s an unprecedented threat to their mental wellbeing.
Managing Campus Threats During March Madness
College and university campuses can be a fun place to be leading into and during the tournament, but they also become hotbeds of triggers for anxiety and stress. In addition to the above mentioned gambling-related threats, campus dangers, including high-risk alcohol consumption and public disturbances are significantly intensified during the NCAA March Madness tournament. Research indicates a 30% rise in binge drinking and heightened abuse directed at student-athletes. Overall, the tournament serves as a catalyst for a “perfect storm” of dangerous behaviors, including increased substance use, driving under the influence, and violence, particularly among schools with teams in the tournament. All on-campus students are placed at risk during this period, but student-athletes are particularly vulnerable.
Techniques to Deal with Anxiety Related to March Madness
Attempting to dilute the importance of the March Madness “in the grand scheme of things” is not an effective strategy in getting through to an athlete. It is something that loved ones may attempt to impress upon them. Instead, learning coping skills and strategies is the key to making it – and thriving – through the tournament. The following coping skills and strategies are rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and have proven to be effective in managing triggers that student-athletes come up against.
Mindful Breathing
Deep (and mindful) breathing involves techniques such as the 4-7-8 method, where an individual inhales for 4, holds for 7, and exhales for 8 seconds. It requires that an athlete focuses on the physical sensation of each breath, so that they can activate their body’s relaxation response and ground themselves in the present moment so that focus is shifted away from anxious thoughts about real or perceived situations.
The technique can be practiced in a seated position using good posture, but generally works best when done on a flat surface (floor). It can be done in the dorm, hotel room, gym, locker room, or anywhere an athlete may find themselves during the tournament. It begins by laying on one’s back on a flat surface with knees bent, placing one hand on the upper chest and the other on the stomach, just below the rib cage. Participants breathe in slowly through their nose (using the 4-7-8 method) letting the air in deeply, towards the lower belly. The hand on the chest should remain still, while the one on the belly should rise. Participants tighten their abdominal muscles and let them compress inward as they exhale through pursed lips as the hand on the belly moves down to its original position.
5-4-3-2-1 Method
This grounding technique for athletes involves identifying the following; 5 things one can see, 4 things one can touch, 3 things one can hear, 2 things one can smell, and 1 thing one can taste. When locked-in and focusing on each, the process shifts focus away from racing thoughts about tournament challenges and into their immediate environment.
Mindful Journaling
Mindful journaling helps student athletes boost mental health, reduce anxiety, and improve performance by processing emotions, fostering self-awareness, and building resilience. It involves writing down thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in real-time without judgment. It is designed to increase self-awareness and ground an individual in the present moment. Unlike traditional diary-keeping, it focuses on observing inner experiences with curiosity and self-compassion, often reducing stress and anxiety. By regularly writing down thoughts – particularly after practice or a game – players can manage stress, cultivate gratitude, and maintain focus. This can ultimately improve emotional intelligence and athletic mindset.
Player Counseling
Counseling is the cornerstone of adopting the above (and other) skills and strategies to manage mental health challenges during March Madness or any other tournament/competition. As America’s leading virtual counseling platform for elite athletes, Kindbridge specializes in treating direct and cooccurring issues that they struggle with. Individuals, coaches, teams, and parents of student athletes alike are encouraged to learn more about our counseling services by clicking/tapping below (or call when ready).
