Books That Make You Confront the Mental Health Crisis in the Sports World
There are aspects of the world of sports we often don’t hear much—or anything—about. In an environment where people feel entitled to their athletic entertainment, we can easily forget about the human aspect underneath those jerseys.
As a former competitive athlete and coach, author Chris K. Jones’s experience with athletes, and his lifelong journey to understanding the minds of athletes, inspired him to write his debut novel, “Headcase”. With a great dose of imagination and suspenseful storytelling, Chris has set out to raise awareness about generational trauma and mental health in that wide world of sports.
Despite the amazing physical talents and money that distinguish them, Chris came to learn that most pro athletes are just like us. Nearly every athlete he researched experienced some trauma growing up—some, in his words, were “horrific.” They struggle with parts of life we struggle with, and are subjected to the stress of ongoing scrutiny after making split-second decisions on the field.
“Headcase” follows a “troubled psychologist who is treating professional athletes with real traumatic issues”, even as he struggles with his own addictions and crises. Despite the fictional world, however, issues such as drug addiction, gambling addiction, rage and impulse control problems and a tendency toward distrust characterize the plight of many real-life pro athletes.