Andrew Knierim is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover North Canyon High School for AZPreps365.com.

From the shining lights on the field, to the bright lights of a lecture hall, the work never stops for student athletes. Both high school and collegiate sports have demands placed on student-athletes that sometimes push them to their limits, both physically and mentally.

“I don’t think [student-athletes] get enough help,” Emilie Simpson, a second-year ASU women's soccer player, said.

Student-athletes have school, homework, practices and games to manage while keeping their social lives and relationships healthy. One in three high school students play at least one sport, according to the Learning Tree. Both high school and college students face struggles but it becomes more prevalent in college athletes. About 22.3% of collegiate athletes are at risk for depression with women athletes at a higher risk, reported by the National Library of Medicine.

Student-athletes like Simpson know how strenuous their schedule is during a season. Most weeks in women’s soccer are two-game weeks, with only one rest day in the week, which NCAA requires.

“Our games are normally Sunday," Simpson said. "We have Mondays off.”

Besides this one day off, Simpson said every other day is filled with various activities, like watching film, spending time in the weight room and training on the field with the team.

With this big time commitment, Simpson added, “if you don’t develop a system quickly, and aren’t good with time management, then you can start drowning.”

First semester she struggled as a soccer player and quickly found a work style that suited her.

“Being organized is super important,” Simpson said. “If you’re not, things can get on top of you really quickly.”

Student-athletes aren’t left to fend for themselves, however, with many resources available to them, according to North Canyon High School Counselor, Keith Allen.

“They can schedule meetings to sit down with a counselor,” Allen said. “Plus we have yearly meetings to let them know what they can do if they’re struggling.”

No student athlete should feel left behind, he said, and that they shouldn’t feel helpless, either, especially because of the added pressures they face.

“Student-athletes do have more pressure on them because of games,” Allen said. “But they know that we provide resources to help them.”

The importance of sports-specific counselors adds to their role in supporting students' mental well-being and guiding them in the right direction.

In recent years, conversations about mental health awareness have become more common, and student-athletes are joining the movement. Assistant Vice President/Director of ASU’s Counseling Services Erin Trujillo said, “student-athletes are doing really productive work in continuing to voice their needs.”

Because of this, more and more support is around student athletes that need “to put their hand up if they’re not doing well.”

However, some student-athletes like Simpson have not felt connected to the services in the past.

“The resources that there are have definitely gotten better,” Simpson said. “But they’re not really personalized.”

While the conversation around mental health is growing, “The current resources in place can always be improved,” Trujillo said, "and we look towards the athletes to help with that.”