Mena Mirhom, MD, FAPA (Chief Wellbeing Officer, Athletes for Hope)
With the World Cup approaching, our eyes are on the soccer world as elite athletes from around the world will gather to display almost superhuman abilities on the pitch. I have sat with athletes who look fearless on the field and feel completely undone off it. When anxiety shows up, it can feel confusing, overwhelming, and deeply isolating. Too many athletes still believe that feeling anxious means something is wrong with them. That ‘something’ can either drive them further into isolation or into community. There is a very liberating experience when an athlete begins to learn that our nervous system is doing exactly what it was designed to do, just at the wrong time and at the wrong volume.
Clinical anxiety is not weakness of the mind or brain. It is not a lack of toughness. It is a real and common condition that affects athletes at every level around the world.
In fact, studies consistently show that anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in young people. Roughly one in three adolescents will experience an anxiety disorder by adulthood. Among college athletes, rates of anxiety symptoms are comparable to or higher than non-athletes, with some surveys showing over 30 percent reporting significant anxiety during their competitive years. Despite this, many athletes delay getting help because they worry about stigma, playing time, or being perceived as unreliable.
What Anxiety and Panic Actually Feels Like
Anxiety is not just worry though, it is a full body experience that begins to override any predetermined plays or strategies.
When an athlete is anxious, the brain interprets something as a threat. That threat may be a performance expectation, an injury, a coach’s evaluation, a scholarship, or even the fear of letting others down. The brain sends an alarm signal to the body. Adrenaline surges. Heart rate increases. Breathing becomes shallow. Muscles tighten. Vision narrows. The body prepares for immediate danger.
Panic attacks are anxiety turned up to maximum volume.
Athletes describe panic as feeling like they cannot catch their breath, like their heart is going to explode, like they are about to pass out or lose control. Many think they are having a heart attack. Panic attacks can come out of nowhere, including during practice, in class, on the bus to a game, or even while resting at home.
Here is the important part. Panic attacks are not dangerous, but they feel terrifying. They are the body’s fight or flight system misfiring.
For an athlete whose identity is built around control, discipline, and physical mastery, panic can feel especially humiliating. That shame keeps many athletes suffering in silence because the unpredictable nature of the panic can be debilitating.
Jack Beer’s Story
This is why Jack Beer’s story is so important.
Jack Beer is a former Georgetown University soccer player and current professional soccer player who experienced intense anxiety and panic attacks while competing at a high level. On the outside, he looked like what many young athletes strive for as skilled, disciplined, and performing in a demanding Division I environment, and later at the professional level. On the inside, his body was repeatedly going into fight or flight without warning.
Jack shared his experience in the documentary Out of the Dark, which offers an honest look at what panic can feel like in the life of a soccer player. The film captures the confusion of not understanding what is happening in your body, the fear that something is seriously wrong, and the pressure to keep showing up when expectations from yourself and others feel relentless.
What also makes Out of the Dark powerful is that it highlights the role of support. Jack’s coach did not dismiss what he was experiencing or tell him to push through it. Instead, the documentary shows what it looks like when a coach takes an athlete’s mental health seriously. That support became part of Jack’s ability to stay connected to the game and move forward, rather than stepping away in silence.
Jack’s story reminds us that panic does not care how conditioned you are or how high the level of play is. It can affect collegiate athletes and professionals alike. When players see someone who has worn the jersey, competed at the highest levels, and still chosen to speak openly, it shifts the culture. It tells athletes that asking for help is compatible with ambition, and that the right support can make the difference between isolation and resilience.
Anxiety Is Treatable
This is the message I want every athlete to hear. Anxiety is highly treatable.
Evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure based strategies, breath and nervous system regulation, and when appropriate, medication, are very effective. Athletes often respond very well because they already know how to practice skills consistently. Mental health skills are skills. They improve with repetition and practice. Early support goes a long way. Athletes who receive help sooner experience less disruption to performance, academics, and relationships. They also learn tools that benefit them long after sports.
The Role of Athletes for Hope
At Athletes for Hope, we believe that caring for the whole athlete is essential.
Through our Center for Athlete Wellbeing , we are working to change how mental health is understood and supported in sports. The Center focuses on education, early intervention, and creating systems where athletes can access help without fear or stigma. This is not about taking athletes out of competition. It is about helping them stay in the game, with healthier minds and longer careers.
A Word to Athletes
If you are an athlete struggling with anxiety or panic, I want you to know this. You are not broken. Your body is trying to protect you. With the right support, you can learn to work with your nervous system instead of fighting it.
Stories like Jack Beer’s remind us that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is telling the truth about what you are carrying and choosing to get help anyway. More often than not, you’ll be surprised by the support that is waiting for you on the other side of that courage.
That is the kind of strength that lasts long after the final whistle.
References
American College Health Association. (2023). National College Health Assessment III: Reference Group Executive Summary.
Beiter, R., Nash, R., McCrady, M., et al. (2015). The prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of college students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 173, 90–96.
Brewer, B. W., Van Raalte, J. L., & Linder, D. E. (1993). Athletic identity: Hercules’ muscles or Achilles heel? International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24(2), 237–254.
Eisenberg, D., Hunt, J., & Speer, N. (2013). Mental health in American colleges and universities. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 201(1), 60–67.
Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., et al. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age of onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593–602.