by Mike Clark, PhD, LP, CMPC
This Mental Health Awareness month, we reached out to Team USA team sports psychologist Dr. Mike Clark for tips to keep athletes mindful and in the game. Dr. Clark provided USATF Campus with the following strategies and reminders to keep athlete mental health a priority.
Identity & Whole-Person Well-Being Athletes tend to be more resilient when their identity extends beyond sport alone. Having meaningful relationships, interests, and identified values outside of competition can help protect mental health during challenges or career transitions. Developing interests, relationships, and values outside of sport does not reduce competitiveness; it often improves emotional regulation, perspective, confidence stability, and long-term performance consistency.
Proactive Mental Skills & Regulation Stress-management skills are most effective when practiced proactively, not only during crises. Breathing techniques, mindfulness, routines, and recovery habits become more accessible under pressure when trained consistently. Learning what helps you reset, recharge, and regulate your mind and body is an important part of consistent performance.
Sleep as a Foundation Sleep is one of the most important foundations for both athletic performance and mental health. Quality sleep can make training feel more manageable by lowering perceived exertion and improving overall energy levels. Adequate sleep improves focus, planning, decision-making, vigilance, and reaction time — all essential for high performance. Sleep plays a key role in learning, helping athletes retain both mental strategies and physical/technical cues. Strong sleep habits are consistently linked to better mental health outcomes, including lower anxiety and depression symptoms and greater resilience to stress.
Stress Mindset When stress is high, it’s helpful to shift attention toward available resources such as skills, experience, preparation, problem-solving abilities, and social support. Athletes who see stressors as opportunities rather than threats tend to perform better and recover more quickly.
Taking Action & Problem-Solving Taking action is often more effective than avoidance. Even small, meaningful steps can reduce overwhelm and create momentum. A helpful place to start is identifying the stressor that feels most pressing and asking: “What is one manageable first step I can take?”
Early Support & Connection Reaching out for support early can make it easier to manage stress, recover more effectively, and prevent small struggles from becoming bigger challenges. Know who’s in your corner!
Reference these reminders as needed to help prioritize the conversations you have amongst your team. Providing positive environments that make your athletes and staff feel welcome to speak about mental health is crucial in supporting the well-being of everyone.
Mike Clark, PhD, LP, CMPC, joined the USOPC in 2024 as a Psychological Services Provider. He is a licensed psychologist and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Dr. Clark works with high performers and utilizes strength-based and acceptance-oriented approaches with his clients.