Photo: Jared Brosnan/WBZ NewsRadio
BARNSTABLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Barnstable High School is now working with sports psychologist Dr. Jonathan Katz to help address the pressures student athletes face.
This comes as the school’s athletic director Henry Stevens says that he’s noticed things have become increasingly harder for student athletes.
“I have seen a change over the years and these external pressures on athletes,” said Stevens. “You see these students trying to do a lot and looking at their calendar saying, ‘How am I going to fit this all in a day?’.”
Those pressures include the likes of body image issues, perfectionism, coping with injury and more which Dr. Katz has been helping staff navigate.
“He’s met with our coaches about the pressures that our athletes feel today, and how we can best support them as an athletic department, he’s also met with our parents as well,” said Stevens.
This is the school’s first year working with Dr. Katz, but they plan on having him attend practices and work more with athletes during the next school year.
Stevens says that having someone like Dr. Katz at the school has been a major help.
“For us to have someone with his expertise and his skill set at our disposal and working with us, we’re incredibly lucky,” said Stevens
WBZ NewsRadio's Jared Brosnan (@JaredBrosnanWBZ) reports.