In professional sports, performance is everything, but what happens when the stress and pressure interfere with an athlete’s mental health?
In recent years, many athletes have openly discussed the hidden toll of being an elite athlete, where the pressure to succeed often clashes with the need to protect their mental well-being.
Chicago Stars midfielder Cari Roccaro, while with Angel City FC, played a pivotal role in changing mental health policy in the National Women’s Soccer League.
ROCCARO: “Heading into the 2019 season, I was asking the league for a leave to take care of my mental health. I assumed that anyone who was injured and was not able to be with their club, would still get paid and get all the benefits that come from being with a NWSL team. But I learned that I would not get paid and everything was going to be suspended until I was back competing with my team.”
The bold move by Roccaro set in motion a change that would transform women’s soccer and athlete mental health support in the United States.
In 2022, the NWSL established a groundbreaking Mental Health Leave policy. This initiative was established in the league’s 2022 collective bargaining agreement, allowing players to take six months off with full salary to focus on their mental well-being.
In the 2023 offseason, defender Imani Dorsey (Utah Royals) became the first player to utilize the NWSL’s mental health leave policy. Just four years into her NWSL career, burnout, exhaustion, and emotional strain pushed Dorsey to the brink of retirement.
For Dorsey, the game she once loved became burdensome: “I got to a point where I wasn’t performing my job safely anymore, I was like: ‘I can’t do this anymore. I will just retire. This is not fun. This is not enjoyable. It continuously became harder and harder to dig deeper and dig back into the tank.”
Dorsey’s decision to step away and emotionally heal helped her reclaim her sense of balance, returning to the league with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.
In 2025, a new NWSL CBA ensured more expansive athlete mental health support. Every team now must provide both a licensed mental health provider and a performance consultant.
At Player Support Services Ltd, we echo the NWSL’s message: You don’t need to suffer in silence. Pro athletes are not machines. High performance doesn’t mean pushing through every day without support. Our mission at Player Support Services is to ensure that every athlete, whether on the rise, in their prime, or nearing retirement, has access to the resources, relationships, and athlete mental health support they need to thrive.
We applaud the NWSL, the Players Association, and pioneers like Dorsey for setting a new standard, one that says loud and clear: It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to be not okay.
If you’re an athlete questioning whether it’s “normal” to feel overwhelmed, know this: you are not alone, and you do not have to struggle in silence. Athlete mental health support is closer than you think!
Player Support Services has set a new standard by addressing every facet of an athlete’s well-being, both during and after their career. PSS Six Pillars of Athlete Well-Being—Performance, Physical, Mental/ Emotional, Financial, Family, and Post-Career—ensures that players are supported holistically, empowering them to thrive in every aspect of life. Whether navigating the pressures of professional sports, receiving athlete mental health support, or transitioning into life after the game, athletes can rely on PSS for unmatched expertise and care.
To learn more about how Player Support Services can help athletes build mental resilience, plan for transitions, gain access to athlete mental health support, and maintain emotional well-being, contact us today.
ABOUT JJ WEBER, M.Ed.
JJ is a Co-Founder of Player Support Services and Director of Sports and Injury Psychology with over two decades of experience working with professional, Olympic, and elite athletes. If you have any questions about Athlete Mental Health Support, Player Support Services, or how to become a member, email JJ Weber, M.Ed., at joe@player-support.com.
