Denz Decodes

On Mental Health Awareness Day, Oct. 10, 2024, Japanese 2020 Tokyo Olympic tennis athlete and mental health advocate Naomi Osaka was announced Maybelline’s first “Brave Together” ambassador. Maybelline’s initiative strives to provide more support for individuals struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Osaka is a shoe-in for this role based on her previous endorsements for mental health, according to Maybelline.

The Olympian had quite the roller coaster experience during her professional career before standing up for her mental well-being. Osaka won her first Grand Slam title in 2018 against tennis great Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4. Osaka’s rise to fame immediately put her in the spotlight.

Osaka’s accomplishments of winning 4 Grand Slam titles before going to the 2020 Olympics all happened within three years. ESPN has coined her “one of the most accomplished tennis players of the Open Era.”

However, her dreams of being a champion have clashed with the expectations of the public eye, putting more pressure on her. She expounds on this in her Netflix documentary and how, over the years, she has learned to overcome that level of stress.

Osaka’s advocacy of athlete’s mental well-being has been one of her top priorities in her career. She states that after the Slam in 2018, she has dealt with depression. Her fight against the press ever since has given an example to similar athletes to prioritize their own mental state.

Osaka states that she does not like doing interviews, which is something all great athletes have to face after either a tough match or a winning game. The professional tennis player says, “I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world's media.”

Going into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Covid-19 took a huge hit on society and skewed the world of athletics. Osaka lost the third round to Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousov, causing her to be out of the tournament. Vondrousova won in the third round 6-1, 6-4.

In prior tournaments leading to the Olympic Games, Osaka withdrew as well as avoided press conferences. Osaka wrote for Time her impressions about how the press has handled her experiences in tennis. Her dislike towards facing the public in after-tournament conferences have been speculated to influence her performance at the Tokyo Games.

This behavior is common in sports. Sports psychologist and author Gary Mack wrote in his book “Mind Gym” about athletes enjoying their comfort zone by shying away from the spotlight. “If you don't see yourself succeeding, or you don't feel deserving, you will sabotage yourself,” Mack wrote.

Sacrifices must be made in order to accomplish goals in sports. Osaka made the decision to protect her own mental health by not succumbing to the expectations of the press and the public.

Not only has she stormed the courts with her talent, Osaka also makes waves in the form of protests and boycotts. She has participated in protests aspiring to bring about social justice. Her Japanese and Haitian background in the U.S. spreads her many fans across all three nations.

Osaka’s involvement in bringing about change is a powerful message both she and her agent are pleased to present. “She's very representative of people her age,” Stuart Duguid, Osaka's agent, said.

Professional basketball team Los Angeles Clippers officially announced on Thursday, October 17, 2024, their small forward Kawhi Leonard will indefinitely be out for the upcoming season due to convalescence from his latest injury. Many critics evaluated the LA Clippers’ decision saying the injury-prone Leonard should finally retire rather than stay on the team as a benchwarmer.

Leonard has been on the LA Clippers' team since 2019 and has sustained three various injuries during his time on the team. Leonard has experienced nearly 50 instances over his professional career of 14 years where he had to miss tournaments due to injuries and recovery. His fans are tired of seeing their favorite player sit out so many games and are encouraging him to retire.

In response to the team’s announcement, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins claims that it’s about time Leonard retires. Many others weigh in on this opinion on Twitter/X. Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho bluntly offers his suggestion.

“[Kawhi] missed 35 percent of the playoff games for the Clippers,” Acho said on The Facility. Acho also said Leonard should retire soon or else he’d accuse the player of “stealing checks” from the LA Clippers.

Despite his many injuries, Leonard has had a successful career. He has received many NBA all star and MVP awards as well as securing many wins for his team by beating personal bests. Leonard’s teammates are disappointed he won’t be able to play for the first of the season since Leonard is still dealing with an inflamed knee.

According to a study done on athletes and injuries in 2023, basketball is shown to have the most athletes with multiple injuries. The most common injury in basketball is said to be a lower extremity injury, including injuries related to knees and ankles, with a high rate of repeat infliction to that area.

It has been released that Leonard would probably have to deal with knee issues the rest of his career if he proceeds to play. This opens up more opportunities for Leonard to continue to get injured in the same area and potentially ruin his body for the rest of his life.

Leonard slightly tore his ACL in the 2021 playoffs, which he had surgery for. Then he tore his meniscus in the same knee two years later. The inflammation in his knee is still affecting him as the Clippers head into another season.

In another study done on the psychological effects of a sports injury, athletes will try to shorten their recovery time in order to get back to their sport. It is reported they feel “pressure to return to their position on their team as soon as possible due to feelings of insecurity about being replaced by someone else.”

While it is common to see professional basketball players injured, it typically is expected to see those players get replaced or retire. However, in the case of Leonard, he continues his career despite the many signs of him possibly stepping down from professional basketball. Leonard’s previous teammate Lou Williams defended the well-decorated athlete.

“It's not for Perk or anyone else to dictate when a player should hang up their sneakers,” Williams said. “He’s actively pursuing his comeback with the intent to be among the best in the game.”

Leonard faces pressure now more than any of his prior injuries because of the expectation to retire. But in the words of Leonard, he’s “taking it day by day.”

Several professional athletes got together this past week to support the Full Circle Life Enrichment Center fundraiser to bring awareness to mental health in all levels of sports. The current and retired greats are hoping for this new generation of athletes to be given plenty of mental health help resources.

Many of the sports stars in attendance spoke about needing their own help when dealing with stress, depression and anxiety during their sport. Former professional tennis player and current broadcaster Patrick McEnroe explains that as a former athlete he gets the pressure kids are dealing with nowadays.

Patrick’s brother and fellow tennis pro John McEnroe runs a tennis academy for all ages for national and international players. The establishment prioritizes player’s mental health as stated in their mission statement, “Our coaches challenge players in a positive, supportive way, to build the self-confidence that is essential to a successful competitive player.”

In a study conducted by the NCAA in 2019, it was found that 35 percent of student athletes experience depression and other mental health concerns. Recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, those numbers have dropped yet there is still a toll on college athlete’s mental health.

More than half of non-athletes ages 18-34 years express feeling stressed and hopeless, according to the American Psychological Association. In the NCAA’s study, it claims that student athletes experience “higher stress levels” than that of non-student-athletes.

Injuries are a detrimental part of mental health and sports. Injuries are a common force to accelerate or induce feelings of depression in athletes. With the pressure of disappointment from potentially letting their team down, athletes who get injured may be more likely to develop symptoms of depression.

An athlete’s mental health from injury also results from unexpected correlations. There is a possibility that an athlete may lose their sense of identity from being unable to play. They may also feel isolated from not being able to physically keep up with their team.

Athletes who become injured may also develop signs of anxiety in the recovery process. Out of fear of reinjuring themselves, athletes may play it safe when getting back to their activities. This causes extreme levels of fear in athletes.

Athletics is a vital part of an athlete’s life. But taking mental health into consideration also extends beyond the field. New York Jets’ safety Tony Adams advocates the importance of mental health both inside and outside of practice.

“I think if more people did it, I think athletes and people in general would take their mental health more seriously. And I think that it is something that is important in the athletic community, in life as well,” Adams said.

It’s a well-known fact among the fitness community that having an active lifestyle is beneficial to overall health. But in athletics, there are some benefits especially for younger athletes that are more obscure. The Full Circle fundraiser helped bring awareness to mental health resources for youth athletics.

“My message to parents and adults,” McEnroe said, “is acknowledge what's going on with your kids, listen to them, ask questions, don't judge them quickly.”

Former Olympic silver-medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson East on Nov. 4, 2024, gave an interview with Access Hollywood on their segment Behind the Easel. Johnson East talked about her family and all things gymnastics while she painted a picture of her family as stick figures, including the family’s pet dog.

In the interview, Johnson East mentioned her rift between good friend and fellow competitor Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Olympic all-around champion. After the 2008 Olympics, the two gymnasts drifted apart and rekindled their friendship eight years later.

“[The world] said we should also be each other's worst enemies as well,” Johnson East said. “So we didn't speak for eight years.”

Both gymnasts don’t recollect a certain moment that turned their friendship sour. They drifted apart due to the pressures of rivalry under a world stage at a young age. Johnson East at the time of her Olympic debut was 16 years old, and Liukin was 18. “It was a really hard thing to navigate as a kid,” Johnson said about her rivalry with Liukin.

The two girls were each other’s biggest competitor. Liukin, trained by her father Valeri Liukin and former Olympic gymnast himself, honed her skill in gymnastics through artistry and elegance. Johnson East was more of a powerhouse gymnast, similar to the style of gymnastics in recent Olympics. Their skill sets, although various in nature, kept them neck and neck throughout the season.

Friendships in sports are essential and can serve as the potential for lifelong friendships. However, there is a fine line between healthy competition and fierce rivals. The book, “The Psychology of Friendships,” co-written by Mahzad Hojjat and Anne Moyer, touches on the importance of having friends that help individuals grow.

“Competition and rivalry can be healthy and fulfilling in many sporting, social, and professional contexts, and can be important throughout the life span, but its aggressive and unempathetic nature can also threaten the quality of friendships,” the book states.

Johnson East and Liukin were very close during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “We were roommates,” Johnson East said, “I felt like we were under the spotlight and scrutiny so much to be each other’s top, biggest competitors.”

Throughout the Olympics, many spectators around the world commented on the girls’ rivalry, putting the competition above their friendship.

On November 11, 2024, a new study released results on the outcomes of watching sports as a communal activity. This research published the various benefits of being part of a community that watches sports together.

The study by Priority Health highlights the positive effects that through social bonding while watching a game with friends or family can help reduce stress. When fans come together to support a team, they experience a collective sense of joy or relief, which can improve mood and decrease feelings of loneliness.

Social connections formed through shared sports experiences also provide a sense of belonging. Whether gathering at home or attending a live game, those social moments can strengthen relationships and offer a much-needed emotional lift.

Audiences achieve that sense of togetherness regardless of watching together in the same room while the game is played via broadcast or either in the stands watching in person. It is reported that younger sports fans enjoy watching games together in person so they can participate in cheers and in-game traditions. Older watchers have been shown to mostly prefer watching live on television with close friends and family.

The various mix of emotions that can occur while watching a team play can be a bonding experience with fellow fans around you. Experiencing those similar feelings can bring a group of people together

Watching sports can also motivate individuals to get more active themselves. A study published on ResearchGate found a connection between engagement in watching sports and increased physical activity. The excitement of seeing athletes perform most likely inspires fans to take up sports or activities.

The studies show that social interactions during these events can create a sense of togetherness. These connections are important for emotional support and maintaining mental well-being.

On the other hand, prior research done by Harvard also conveys that indulging in excessive sports watching can be detrimental to those benefits. Sitting for extended periods while watching games, coupled with unhealthy snacking, can contribute to sedentary behavior, leading to long-term health problems like obesity or heart disease.

While there are both upsides and downsides to watching sports with other people, depending on the type of leisure, the positives can be seen to outweigh the negative results.

On November 21, 2022, a child came to her parents after school expressing how much pain she was in. The young student from Sevier County told her parents that for their P.E. block they were forced to participate in an “endurance day.”

It was investigated that the P.E. coach made them do “sets of push ups starting at 20, sprinting across the gym, 19, sprinting across the gym, 18,” Shana Kummer, the girl’s mother, said. “Totaling 405 pushups and 34 gym length wind sprints in a 30 minute period.”

The alleged “endurance day” was in response to an incident involving breaking a sign in the boys locker room and was enforced for all sixth grade students as corporal punishment. After two years, a request to release a surveillance video to take to court was made, to which the school district refused.

While reading this story, it reminded me of my own athletic experience. Every workout the children were forced to do as a means to dish out punishment sounded exactly like my time as a child gymnast. Those kinds of workouts put me through pain with asthma and soreness that lasted days.

Exercise as punishment is a popular and even glorified way to discipline athletes. Strength conditioning is an essential part of sports, to train the body to be able to perform high-performance feats. However, there can be a fine line between sufficient exercise and overexertion.

So many other sports and coaches practice with this old-fashioned style since it’s been traditional for generations. There are studied disadvantages in athletes for using this method, however.

A study in 2019 explained how punishment through exercise is the least effective form of discipline. To acquire motor skills for a task, it requires repetition to gain the muscle memory of doing it. In forcing athletes to condition out of punishment, it undermines the reason for repetition.

“Excessive physical punishment will likely lead to many kids not returning next season,” the study stated. “Would you come back when there are a million other things you could do, and you are berated for your lack of skill, yet not taught to improve that skill?”

My coach conditioned us, that’s all he knew. When we were afraid of doing a skill or couldn’t make a correction, we were then threatened with sprinting laps back and forth across the floor, climbing the rope several times, or holding a static position for an unnatural amount of time.

Since my performance at practice one day was lackluster after receiving a mild concussion diagnosed later that night, that resulted in holding a handstand against the wall for five minutes straight. Or pairing up with a teammate to lock him out of his phone as a prank led to the whole team doing 100 lemon squeezers for every minute he was locked out. These punishments took every last bit of fun out of practice and petrified me and my teammates into mindlessly following our coach’s orders.

The 2019 study says that fear, stress and anxiety are “performance inhibitors.” The more coaches push their athletes, the more risk they take in compromising a positive and safe environment. When an environment meant for learning does not have a safe atmosphere, a child’s brain will shut down and no learning will happen.

After the Philadelphia Eagles secured a victory 22-16 against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, December 8, 2024, Eagles’ defensive end Brandon Graham voiced frustrations in regards to some of his teammates. Comments have fluctuated during the Eagles’ NFL season, implying the team is not a well-oiled machine due to drama between their players.

In a post-game interview after the near-loss to the Panthers, wide receiver A.J. Brown was asked what the team needs to work on, to which he bluntly and immediately responded, “Passing.” His actions during the game also visualized his frustrations by slamming his helmet to the ground at one point.

While calling out no player in particular, it was brought to the public’s attention when Graham responded in his weekly radio show calling out rifts in Brown’s friendship with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Graham noted this point of drama to explain the possible reason as to why the team isn’t playing like a team.

“I don't know the whole story, but I know that 1 [Hurts] is trying. 11 [Brown] could be a little better with how he responds to things. They were friends, but things have changed,” Graham said during his show.

Graham goes on to explain that as professional players and friends, they have to find out how to separate personal feelings from business matters. Graham mentioned that they “need to be able to talk things out as men,” whenever there’s issues to be resolved if those personal issues interfere with their ability to perform.

While it is noticed by the community, Hurts is reportedly inconsistent in his playing, according to CBS Sports, and even possibly jeopardized the Eagles’ chance of playing at the Super Bowl. While Brown’s concerns may have been valid, Graham didn’t have to comment on the subject.

Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb weighed in on the topic. “If you got an issue, you come to me,” McNabb said on 94WIP SportsRadio. “Let's not go through the media because now it blows up and now what you said is out there in front of everybody,”

After Graham’s episode aired, it stirred unwanted attention towards Brown’s and Hurts’ relationship. Then the following morning after his show, Graham went to ESPN’s Tim McManus to clarify the situation and right his wrong. In calling out his teammates to be accountable for their actions and behaviors, Graham later took accountability in his own actions.

“I’m going to make sure I apologize to both of them,” Graham said, accepting the mistake he made. “I just didn’t want us to use the media in a bad way. I can’t do that either. If I’ve got something [to say], I’ve got to go to the people, too.”

Publicity on a topic for personal affairs is not a healthy way to address those problems. It was especially trifling to make the issue known in an online fashion just to shed light on something that needed to be fixed. However, Graham did make it known in his message to clarify his previous words that he had no intentions to turn this issue into the contention it did end up becoming.

By saying he’ll apologize in person to the people he wronged, that is a bold way of Graham taking responsibility. Personal apologies statistically mean more to the audience it was intended for and is more effective at rebuilding trust.

A Harvard study found that in-person apologies are deeply enriched with sincerity and understanding. This can reform relationships with those offended, which is something that the Eagles need if they want to continue their nine-victory streak.

Graham is optimistic about this particular tribulation. He believes this will bond him and his teammates closer together. He explained to McManus on ESPN by using the analogy of diamonds forming under pressure.

When it comes to athletes making it to the Olympic stage, that’s a huge honor. It shows dedication, diligence, discipline and determination. So why would some athletes throw all that away once they proved they got their chance?

One week before the Paris Olympics kicked off, 19-year-old Japanese gymnast Shoko Miyata admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking. Japan’s current law states that citizens under 20 years of age are not allowed to smoke or drink alcohol. This led the team captain to withdraw from competing and was ultimately sent back home.

It was announced on December 7, 2024, that Miyata would not be punished for her underage drinking and smoking. Missing out on the Olympics was punishment enough for the young athlete.

Penalties throughout each nation’s Olympic committee have various rules and regulations. However, there are more similarities than differences. One of those similarities is inconsistency.

At an Olympic training camp in preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics, it was claimed that U.S. gymnast Marvin Kimble was kicked out for having beer in the fridge he and his roommate shared. Kimble at the time 20 years old. In the U.S. it’s known that the legal age for possession of alcohol is 21. Other speculations have been made that Kimble didn’t fit in with the other gymnasts, whether skill-wise or in a discriminatory way, but either way he was not able to qualify for the Olympics.

Kimble was forcefully punished for something in his possession that might not have been his. The roommate whom Kimble shared the fridge with was 24-year-old Sam Mikulak, a 4-time all-around champion before the Rio Olympics. It would make sense that the beer found in the fridge would have belonged to Mikulak. Unfortunately, was Mikulak punished for the possession and consumption of alcohol despite the presence of an underage athlete? Of course not.

One gymnast who was kicked out despite being well within acceptable age limits was 33-year-old Dutch male gymnast Yuri van Gelder. Before the Rio 2016 event finals, in which van Gelder qualified to compete in the rings final, the dubbed “Lord of the Rings” was sent home for violating Olympic village rules for spending a night out drinking. He broke curfew, leaving the village for the night and not coming back until early the next morning. Even though the consumption of alcohol on village premises was prohibited, some have argued that van Gelder technically didn’t violate that rule.

On the opposite side, Japanese legend Kohei Uchimura has been reported to have indulged in serious smoking issues for years. Uchimura announced in 2022 that he would retire from the sport and finished his career being considered as “the greatest male gymnast of all time.” Yet, was he ever punished for his smoking? No.

Japan’s overall rules when it comes to smoking in particular are all over the place. Locals and students have claimed people’s excessive use of cigarettes is due to lack of consistently enforced policy. Over the years, businesses and corporations have changed accessibility to dissuade users from smoking.

Japan’s rules for athletes are vaguely stated. One rule explains that any location that involves the Japan national team, smoking and drinking alcohol is prohibited for athletes of all ages. The following rule reiterates that regulation but can be disregarded “with the permission of the coach.”

When it comes to the Olympic committee’s involvement in regards to smoking, the rule of prohibiting athletes from smoking and drinking has only been a strict thing since 2016. It doesn’t make sense why Uchimura was excused from any kind of punishment. However, when the rules were becoming stricter, Uchimura was to the point in his career where the regulation couldn’t reach him as much.

When she withdrew from the Paris Olympics, Miyata and the Japan Gymnastics Association expressed their regret. Many viewers around the world saw how unfair the punishment was. Not only was Miyata stripped of her chance to represent her country, but the four other girls were competing without a team captain.

Fortunately for the Olympic-deprived gymnast, the JGA saw what was already done in July was penalty enough. They are allowing her to come back and compete.

“We believe that giving her a chance (to make a comeback) and have her move forward toward her goals will prevent a recurrence,” Tadashi Fujita, chief of the Japan Gymnastics Association, said in a press conference discussing Miyata’s repercussions.

In many athletes’ cases, smoking and drinking were ways to alleviate the pressures of competing at a global stage. Even historical gymnasts who reinvented the sport like Olga Korbut indulged in smoking to give her an escape.

A plausible reason why athletes risk their dream and entire career by sneaking around rules is because they can. The chances of them not getting caught are worth the brief moments of calm. And when they are caught, the risks of consequences vary.