During the early 90s and early 2000s, the focus on mental health stayed at an all-time low. There was no social media back then. People couldn’t voice their opinions and had to subdue all the pressure inside. Times are changing now. We are more open to therapy and take care of our mental health, similar to our physical well-being. USWNT star Crystal Dunn detailed the significance of this in a sit-down chat.

In an interview with ESPN, Dunn remarked on the importance of having your mental check in progress. She explained, “I think the world is catching onto the fact that we are human beings first. Like, I think mental health is something that is such a big topic nowadays that I’m so happy it is. Because I think people just think it’s automatic for us. We hop out of bed. We drive to training and we train and everything is all good and gravy.”

She discussed how people think soccer players have fun lives compared to normal office-going employees. Yet, it’s all the same. She said, “There’s so many days in the year I’m just like I’m struggling. Struggling to find my identity as a player as a mom and taking on these new roles and sometimes you get lost.” No one can deny that each soccer player attends training sessions to prepare for the weekend matches. It’s play, train, and repeat. And sometimes, this process can’t get monotonous.

Hence, Dunn stated they also had “real-life” problems, just like us. They wanted to perform well for the fans and themselves but lived a simple normal life. Thus, the life of an athlete is far more challenging than we can ever imagine.

Notably, Michael Phelps, a 23x Olympic gold medalist, is a prominent advocate for mental health problems. He continues to speak highly of focusing your mind the way you hit the gym. He compartmentalizes things in his head so as not to succumb to pressure. So how does Dunn keep a check on her mental health?

Crystal Dunn’s coping mechanisms for better mental health

Likewise, Dunn has her ways of dealing with her dilemmas by saying, “We have real-life problems going on in our lives and we don’t always perform at our best. And maybe that’s things going on in our lives that are aiding into this. It’s really important that we all take time to like, give ourselves grace, pat ourselves on the back. One thing I have been doing after growing older is celebrating myself.”

Surely, she is celebrating herself and can give a pat on her back for the USWNT gold medal. The versatile player can play in any position, be it midfielder, winger, defender, etc. Emma Hayes tailored her role to perfection in the World Cup by utilizing her skillset.

Thus, the USWNT and Crystal Dunn look mature after their 2023 World Cup failure. They remain motivated to win more and with the 2027 World Cup in sight, Dunn and Co would hope to keep their mental health in check and go again!