The Mental Game: Adam Schefter and the Fight Nobody Sees.
Written By: Kekoa O’Neil
Contributor | Sideline Society Media
Mental Health. Something that is rarely talked about when it comes to sports but is one of the most important aspects in determining success both on and off the field.
ESPN senior NFL insider and sports reporter Adam Schefter spoke on the podcast "The Mental Game" about all things related to his success, periods of loneliness and even depression that he's felt throughout the entirety of his career. One of the things that stood out early on about what Adam mentioned is how lonely and boring trying to get a career in sports can be. He emphasized factors such as long hours, lots of travel, no time for fun, going out, partying, and so much more. He prefaced such by saying that all his life he had wanted to work and build a career in the sports industry and although he enjoyed the time early on in his career with the Denver Broncos, there were lots of bumps in the road that made him question if this profession was really for him.
Something he mentioned that was really taking a toll on him was when he had reached the age of 31, was still single with no wife and kids. "Seeing all my friends and colleagues start their families and seemingly start the next phase of their lives while I was wondering what's next caused some really dark days for me," he stated. It had really hurt Adam to be the only one not quite yet getting to experience the joy of having a lifelong partner that you could grow and have kids with. Adam also mentions how he struggled pretty severely with anxiety always wondering what's next. From an athlete's perspective this usually happens as they are nearing retirement and don't have a plan post career, but for Adam it was more so the daily question of "is this really the profession I want to be in the rest of my life?" In his book The Man I Never Met about his life and struggles worrying about marriage, Adam quotes, "My job at the NFL Network was supposed to entail one column per week on NFL.com and roughly one appearance per week on the network's flagship show, NFL Total Access. I was writing stories every day.
But the story I pursued hardest was my own. I was thirty-nine years old. I was hoping to get married and start a family. A failed marriage was just one in a long list of failed relationships." Shortly after such, one day his friend Jeff Rubin had called him, set him up on a blind date with his now wife Sharri Maio and the rest is history. They have a beautiful daughter together named Dylan and this opened a whole new chapter of Adam's life. For every NFL fan it's almost impossible not to know the name. Every time a big trade, storyline or transaction happens in the NFL Adam is always going to be the first you're going to hear from and you know the news coming from him is valid and accurate. This goes to show a story not only of resilience but hope and what never giving up can do for someone.
I myself often struggle with the Mental Game. Not necessarily being an athlete but as someone who suffered a traumatic injury at such a young age, I often find myself having the same thoughts as Adam when it comes to finding the right career and having hopes of building a family in the future. Being someone who uses a wheelchair for mobility, seeing my friends and those around me do the daily tasks I once could, often causes me to have a sense of doubt for what the future holds. What I've learned from this though is that this is where the mental aspect of it all becomes so important because you don't want to fall into the deep dark hole of always wondering "what if" rather than working with what you have available to you.
For people like myself and many others including athletes Adam Schefter should be someone of motivation to not only to never give up, but keep being you. Many athletes nowadays are afraid to speak up and share what is really going on but in reality there's nothing else that matters more than your own voice. Mental health now more than ever is starting to be showcased as something should be prioritized by athletes and those around them. If an athlete's head is not in the right place it's going to be almost impossible for them to maximize their performance and will only continue to hurt them during and post career. Showing up is important but speaking up is even that much more beneficial.
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