Future College Athlete and The Rise Of Perfectionism: Future Trend 4—College Recruitment Perfectionism
By Michael Cerreto
Perfectionism is on the rise. If the trend continues for the next ten years, it may profoundly impact the personalities and mental health of athletes who enter college in the 2030s. The following is the fourth of a seven-part series about how the rise of perfectionism can impact future college athletes. Let’s look at Future Trend 4.
“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. ”
Future Trend 4: The Burden Of Being Perfect In Everything For College Recruiting Will Increase Anxiety And Depression
Unhealthy perfectionism, as defined by Psychology Today (2019), is the relentless pursuit of unattainable goals and standards, leading to a host of negative outcomes. This mindset is not merely about achieving perfection; it's a constant battle to avoid mistakes and harsh criticism in all aspects of life. The pressure to be perfect can stem from internal sources or, significantly, from societal expectations, which can feel like an overwhelming burden. (Psychology Today, 2019; Perfection: The Harm in Striving for Perfection - in Education Inc., 2023)
Young athletes aspiring to play at the pinnacle of college sports, Division I, often feel compelled to excel in all areas of their lives. They believe they must be perfect in academics, sports, relationships, finances, work, volunteering, and interning to secure a spot at the best college. This all-encompassing perfectionist mindset significantly burdens these athletes, both before and during their college years (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020).
Many youth sports travel programs and high schools emphasize that the only way to get accepted and recruited to a top DI college is to be perfect in every way and follow the paths the travel program and school layout. They imply to the student-athlete that deviating from the perfectionist plan will ruin the athlete’s chance of getting into a good college. This emphasis on being perfect in everything causes athletes to believe that the purpose of sports is to become an ideal, shiny object to stand out to colleges, which makes athletes other-directed instead of self-directed in life.
In the future, athletes will compete hard to get DI scholarships, leading them to feel the pressure to be perfect in everything they do. This pressure will increase the burden of responsibilities and perfectionism, which will cause anxiety and depression (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020).
References
Psychology Today. (2019). Perfectionism | Psychology Today. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/perfectionism
Perfection: The Harm in Striving for Perfection - iN Education Inc. (2023, May 12). https://ineducationonline.org/2023/05/12/perfection-the-harm-in-striving-for-perfection
Lopes Dos Santos, M., Uftring, M., Stahl, C. A., Lockie, R. G., Alvar, B., Mann, J. B., & Dawes, J. J. (2020). Stress in academic and athletic performance in collegiate athletes: A narrative review of sources and monitoring strategies. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2(42). https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.00042
