Not Just a Slump: When Performance Dips Are a Sign of Something Deeper

Leilanie Pakoa
Jul 20
4 min read

In elite and youth sport, it’s normal for performance to fluctuate—energy levels dip, motivation ebbs and flows, and sometimes an athlete is just “off.” But what happens when a slump isn’t just about form or fatigue? When a dip in performance is actually a red flag for something deeper?

Mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and burnout often wear a disguise. They don’t always look like tears or panic attacks. Sometimes they show up as:

A normally driven athlete skipping training
A top performer suddenly struggling to focus
A young player who “just doesn’t seem like themselves anymore”

For coaches, parents, and support staff, it’s easy to default to physical or tactical explanations. But what if we started to get curious about the why behind the shift?

Performance Dips as Psychological Red Flags

Athletes are often praised for their toughness, their ability to push through, grind it out, and "do the hard things." But this very culture can make it harder to spot signs that someone is struggling. Emotional fatigue, stress, or early signs of mental health concerns might go unnoticed or worse, dismissed as laziness or lack of commitment.

Common Signs to Watch For:

Changes in mood: irritable, flat, or more withdrawn
Sleep issues: trouble falling or staying asleep, or oversleeping
Loss of enjoyment: previously loved parts of sport now feel like a chore
Drop in motivation: avoiding training, skipping extras, disengaging in team settings
Physical symptoms: fatigue, recurring illness, unexplained pain
Negative self-talk: increased self-criticism, catastrophising, loss of confidence
Performance inconsistency: sharp dips in focus, decision-making, or execution

These signs might not always scream “mental illness” and they don’t have to. But they are often a whisper worth listening to.

Understanding Depression, Anxiety & Burnout in Sport

Depression:

In athletes, depression may not always look like sadness—it often shows up as physical fatigue, withdrawal, lack of drive, or feeling emotionally “numb” (Rice et al., 2016). Athletes may keep training but lose all sense of joy or purpose.

Anxiety:

Performance anxiety is common—but chronic anxiety can lead to persistent worry, racing thoughts, and a sense of dread before training or games. It can affect sleep, decision-making, and even muscle tension and coordination (Chang et al., 2019).

Burnout:

Burnout is more than tiredness—it’s emotional exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and feeling like sport is no longer meaningful (Moen et al., 2023). It’s often missed because athletes keep showing up physically, even as their mental reserves are drained.

Why Early Conversations Matter

We can’t fix what we don’t notice.

Creating an environment where athletes can talk early—before things become a crisis—can be a game changer. And these conversations don’t have to be clinical.

They can be simple, curious, and compassionate:

“You don’t seem like yourself lately—everything okay?”
“I’ve noticed you’re not bringing the same energy. Is anything on your mind?”
“What’s been hardest lately? What’s been helping?”

The Role of Coaches, Parents & Support Staff

You don’t have to be a psychologist to make a difference. You just have to notice.

Your job isn’t to diagnose—but to be a connector and a supporter. Here’s how:

Know the signs: Educate yourself and your team on mental health literacy.
Model vulnerability: Share stories of athletes who’ve sought help and bounced back.
Hold space: Listen without judgment or needing to ‘fix’ things right away.
Check in early and often: Don’t wait until someone is in crisis.
Refer when needed: Help athletes access professional support early.

Sport psychologists, counsellors, and wellbeing officers can offer targeted strategies for emotional regulation, confidence rebuilding, and performance resilience. Getting help isn’t a weakness—it’s often what saves a career, not ends it.

Final Thoughts

Performance isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, cognitive, and relational. If an athlete’s performance dips, it’s not always a tactical problem to solve—it could be a wellbeing signal to notice.

Mental health isn’t separate from sport. It is sport.

Let’s build cultures that get curious before they get critical.

References

Chang, C., Putukian, M., Aerni, G., Diamond, A., Hong, G., Ingram, Y. M., & Reardon, C. L. (2019). Mental health issues and psychological factors in athletes: Detection, management, effect on performance and prevention. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(4), 216–220. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-100715
Rice, S. M., Purcell, R., De Silva, S., Mawren, D., McGorry, P. D., & Parker, A. G. (2016). The mental health of elite athletes: A narrative systematic review. Sports Medicine, 46(9), 1333–1353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0492-2
Moen, F., Myhre, K., & Sandbakk, Ø. (2023). The psychology of burnout in sport: A literature review. In Advances in Sport and Exercise Psychology (pp. 317–336). https://doi.org/10.1002/catl.30402
Henriksen, K., Schinke, R., Moesch, K., McCann, S., Parham, W. D., Larsen, C. H., & Terry, P. (2019). Consensus statement on improving the mental health of high performance athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(5), 553–560. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2019.1570473
Biggin, I. J., Burns, J. H., & Uphill, M. A. (2017). An investigation of athletes' and coaches' perceptions of mental ill-health in elite athletes. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 11(2), 126–147. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2016-0011
Breslin, G., Shannon, S., Haughey, T., Donnelly, P., & Leavey, G. (2017). A systematic review of interventions to increase awareness of mental health and well-being in athletes, coaches and officials. Systematic Reviews, 6, 177. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-017-0568-6
Mastroianni, B., Zalewski, K., & Jacobs, J. (2022). The link between athletic performance and depressive symptoms in NCAA student-athletes: A review. Journal of Athletic Training, 57(2), 178–185. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0658.22
Gouttebarge, V., Bindra, A., Blauwet, C., Campriani, N., Hainline, B., Hitchcock, M. E., ... & Reardon, C. L. (2021). International Olympic Committee consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(11), 667–699. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-104014