Ep. 27 Mental Health and Sports

Tennis star Naomi Osaka ignited a firestorm when she announced that she would not participate in any post-match interviews at the French Open due to concerns about her mental health. After she was fined by tournament officials, she said she had been dealing with bouts of depression and talking to reporters would bring on anxiety and proceeded to withdraw from the tournament. What has Osaka’s decision forced us to look at when it comes to sports heroes? Joining us to talk about it are Barb Anthony,
one of the founders of the Northeast Ohio Women’s Sports Alliance; Special Jennings, girls basketball coach at Montverde Academy in Orlando, Florida; and Dr. Matthew Sacco, a health and sport/performance psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

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