Head Game Mental Health in Sports Media

“
Head Game
represents the first book of its kind to tackle one of today’s most pressing public health crises, one that has been forced into the shadows for far too long, through the lens of sport. Billings and Parrott explore the key media moments in this movement, the storytellers who shaped them, the institutional response from leagues and teams, and the first-hand accounts of elite athletes who have struggled to bring mental health awareness to the forefront—all of which has come to shape how we talk about mental health today. This timely, well-researched and expansive volume offers a powerful compilation of perspectives from prominent athletes like Olympians Michael Phelps and Gracie Gold, to the NFL’s Brandon Bostick, to the NHL’s Corey Hirsch. In combating the silence, stigma, stereotypes and prejudice that have often plagued discussions of mental health,
Head Game
tracks the modern movement for mental health advocacy within the world of sport and beyond. I highly recommend this book to anyone teaching courses in communication, sport and society, as students will undoubtedly find the material engaging and relatable, as well as to any reader interested in mental health portrayals in the media. I suspect everyone who reads
Head Game
will find a story within it that they can connect to.”
—Leigh Moscowitz, Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina

“For too long the discourse of ‘mental toughness’ has dominated sports culture, from the way we coach and train athletes to how athletes are covered in the media. Through interviews with elite/professional athletes who have publicly disclosed mental health issues, the sports journalists who cover their stories, and sports organizations’ own efforts to address mental health,
Head Game
dissects how dangerous this discourse has been, and creates much-needed awareness on an issue that has been stigmatized in our culture.
Head Game
humanizes athletes, reminding readers that gold medals, championships, million-dollar salaries, corporate endorsements, or super star celebrity do not immunize athletes against mental health struggles. Sadly, what is at stake is a matter of life or death.
Head Game
is required reading for all athletes, coaches, journalists, sports fans, or anyone who cares about the mental health and well-being of athletes.”
—Cheryl Cooky, Professor of American Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Purdue University