Mental health is seriously just as important as physical health when doing sports and living in general. I’ve gone through many stages of my mental health where it affected not only the mindset and the feeling of dancing, but the physical aspect as well. It is so important to talk about how people on sports teams, on squads, etc; are affected in their sport mentally. It is most important for team coaches, captains, mentors, members, teachers, etc; to discuss this with their students. A safe space for your physical capability is great in sports. But a safe space for mental capability when it comes to the physical and mental aspect of performing said sport, is equally as important because mental health affects the way we think, feel, and perform.
Personally, I thank my dance teachers at the TWDCC for being so kind and open about my feelings regarding how I feel about dance physically, mentally, and my mindset. Angela Chambers has helped me overcome many walls that I have put up for myself; not only because of a physical stopping point, but also mental blocks. It’s something that I work on every day and it’s something I continue to work on, because it is just that important. Mental health is that important.