Dan’s Story

‘It should be easy for you to pass exams as a basketball player’, this is a common statement that most of my classmates say to me. There is this stereotype for students who also do sports, that professors are easier on us, and that we are good with relationships. At the end of the day, we get a lot of attention from people, but the truth is that it is difficult to manage everything. I couldn’t find time to do the most important things, especially studying. My girlfriend broke up with me because she felt neglected; my grades got worse last semester because I couldn’t focus. The most important match that we had, we lost it and was devastating for me as I couldn’t prepare enough. I never felt good enough – not good enough at sports, not good enough academically, and that almost killed me! All of these made me get into a very depressive mood. I felt so hopeless and pessimistic about my future.

Everything changed when I got into the Innsightful Emotional Wellness Program. First, it helped so much to see that I wasn’t the only one going through all of this. I was part of a group of other student athletes dealing with similar problems as I was; they were so free of judgments and very supportive. Secondly, I didn’t understand that I had a problem with the quality of my sleep. When I described my typical day, I found that I had many bad habits, such as using my phone before going to bed, lack of a routine, eating before going to sleep, etc. I never realized that some random things could impact my life for the worse. With the help of my wellness coach, I eliminated some of my bad habits and created more balance in my life that improved my well-being, academics and sport standing.