Jesse Steinfeldt speaks at a mental health event hosted at IU. Steifeld is the Director of the Indiana University Sport and Performance Psychology program and specializes in psychological counseling for collegiate athletes. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Jesse Steinfeldt, director of the Indiana University Sport and Performance Psychology Program, specializes in psychological counseling for athletes in college. He said student-athletes, as well as professional athletes, can suffer from depression and anxiety.
“ Men are socialized not to speak up, not to show their emotions, not to seek help,” Steinfeldt said.“ Then you talk about male athletes, even more, it extends out even further in terms of decreased help-seeking, and then, with male athletes of color, even more.”
Steinfeldt said that, while all male athletes are prone to stigma surrounding mental wellness, Black male athletes are even further discouraged from discussing their struggles.
“ The stigmatization in the Black community— among other places,( and) the Latino community— toward seeking help, that now gets an enhanced dynamic that interacts with their athletic-self,” Steinfeldt said.
The stigmatization in the Black community— among other places,( and) the Latino community— toward seeking help, that now gets an enhanced dynamic that interacts with their athletic-self,
JULY / AUG 2026 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE PAGE NO. 25