Editorial
Photo from Rob Howe/HawkFanatic.com
In a world filled with constant distractions and stresses, Patrick McCaffery proved that being a division 1 basketball player is no different.
On Tuesday, McCaffery announced that he is stepping away from the University of Iowa Men’s basketball team due to his Anxiety.
McCaffery cited how his anxiety took over all aspects of his life. “It’s not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself,” said McCaffery.
Patrick came to the University of Iowa as a four-star recruit, choosing to play for his dad Fran McCaffery, who is the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. He is now in his second year as a starter for the program.
When he was 13 he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, he said the absence now is not related.
This announcement comes as Iowa is gearing up for the heart of conference play. McCaffery himself said he is not sure how long the absence will be.
Making the announcement at this time in the season had to be a challenging one, but for McCaffery I hope it's the right decision.
Dealing with anxiety is an extremely complex issue. Anxiety truly can cripple one’s day-to-day life and not allow you to focus on the important things.
McCaffery said that his sleep, appetite and stamina have been affected. Three things vital for basic human life, let alone playing division 1 basketball at a high level.
Taking time off from a game he presumably loves shows how impactful anxiety has been to his life. Being courageous enough to publicly make an announcement and step back from the program shows that mental illness and specifically anxiety affects many people.
With McCaffery making this announcement he shows his vulnerability, and possibly more importantly that anxiety can affect anyone, anywhere.
Anxiety does not discriminate.
As someone who also deals with anxiety, I’m happy to see McCaffery speak out and seek time for himself to get better. Hopefully more people continue to speak out on the importance of mental health and help show that it may not be as uncommon as some people think it is.
What Patrick McCaffery did yesterday could go down as one of his most important achievements on or off the court during his time at the University of Iowa.
For anyone else going through difficult times, just know that it gets better. It's okay to get help and to focus on your mental health.
Finally, It is my sincere wish that Patrick, or anyone in this situation get the help that they need and deserve.
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