Mental Health in Collegiate-Level Athletes

Tom Snee cheers alongside friends while standing above the green bleachers at Autzen. Fans fill the University of Oregon football stadium on the warm, breezy October night. The Stanford Cardinals bear the audiences’ roar, taking on the favored Oregon Ducks. As the eager referee kicks off the match, a whirlwind of emotions sweeps over the 6 foot 4 inch 23-year-old. Snee punted for the Ducks until this summer. He stepped away from the team in July 2022 to focus on his mental health. 

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 10-20 percent of the 460,000 student-athletes in America endure depression and other mental health struggles. Snee is among those facing the consequences of immense pressure on collegiate-level athletes. 

In 2018, Snee moved from Melbourne, Australia to embark on his football career at the UO. “The moment I got here, it felt like I was running uphill,” Snee said.

The fifth-year student wanted to be with a friend's family for the Fourth of July. A coach rejected him when he brought up missing one practice for the trip. “My coach looked at me and said, ‘We don’t play pee wee football here, Tom’ and that was it,” Snee said. The Australian native struggled without a deeper relationship with his coaches. 

“The isolation and distance from my family amplified my issues,” Snee said. This contributed to his decision to step away from football when his mental health got worse. 

Snee focuses on himself now. “The biggest thing for me, mentally, now is having time to think about my future and do the planning,” Snee said.

Though Snee could admit when he was struggling, not all athletes, and non-athletes, can. 

Dam Worth It is an organization that helps with issues like this. Taylor Ricci recognized this struggle that Tom and others face and co-founded it. Ricci was a gymnast at Oregon State. She faced losing a fellow athlete, and friend, to suicide. 

Dam Worth It strives to end the stigma around mental health among student-athletes. “Being able to say 'I’m struggling with my mental health' is something we haven't reached as a society,” Ricci said. 

Snee will share a Christmas with his family after five spent apart. The brown-haired man plans to graduate this June. He is double majoring in advertising and public relations. He hopes to move somewhere he can enjoy the company of loved ones. Snee will continue to cheer on his former team from the stands.

“I feel normal. I don’t feel like I’m running uphill anymore,” Snee said.