Transcription:

Brandon Kramer:

 

What sports did you play in, high school or college?

 

Nathan Gaines:

 

In high school I played soccer and I played tennis. Tennis being my primary sport. That was the one I was best at when I went to college and played.

 

Did you at any point, struggle with. Anxiety or mental health while playing tennis? And if so, how did it impact your play? 

 

Yeah, I did. It was more in college I had that had stuff like that, like just it. It did affect my play at times, I'm not gonna lie. It was just, I was new to college.

 

I was like 19, 20, had just moved out of the house, was experiencing a bunch of stuff for the first time, felt lonely, missed my family. I. All this kind of stuff. And I, I did have friends, like mainly people on the tennis team, some online friends who were there to support me and help me. But yeah it, I'd lie if I didn't say I had some mental health issues

 

Issues that I was fighting through, especially I lost, I did lose a lot. My first year being new to the college game it affected me for sure at times.

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Brandon Kramer: 

 

Which parts of your game felt like a mental battle before serving? Was it similar to the yips, performance anxiety, or did it happen before the match or during play?

 

Nathan Gaines:

 

 I think a lot of it was pre pre-match anxiety.

 

I would say. I, it definitely. It had an impact on me, I guess once I got into the game and I was able to focus and walk in, I was okay. But I wouldn't necessarily say it was the yips per se. But yeah mentally it would mess me up at times. Just getting in the zone, trying to focus on what I was doing instead of stuff that was going on outside.

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Brandon Kramer:

 

Was the tennis team a welcoming environment where you felt comfortable reaching out to someone to talk?

 

Nathan Gaines:

 

I did have my best friend. He's still my best friend today. That's pretty, pretty nice. And he was there for me. He, but he was also going through his own mental struggles. So we just leaned on each other. But, as men per se, I'm not gonna say it's not, doesn't, pertain to women as well, but as men, we're supposed to bottle up our emotions and stuff like that.

 

And it's really hard to talk about, it's still hard for me to talk about that stuff. It's not like I had a counselor or anything to talk about the time. So I think it did hurt really only having that one friend to lean on who was also dealing with his own problems. That did, have an impact.

 

If I had more people to talk to, I think it, I could have handled it better. But yeah, I think that definitely had an impact.

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Brandon Kramer:

 

Do you feel the athletic program provided resources or support for athletes facing mental health struggles?

 

Nathan Gaines:

 

Yes and no because yes, obviously they want you to go out there and perform your best and not care about that other stuff. But also like it, it was a Christian school and they encouraged you to go to church and get involved in your community and stuff. So I think that it was a little bit of both.

 

Brandon Kramer:

 

What would you say to people struggling with mental health in sports? If you could offer them words of wisdom — or advice you would have given your younger self — what would it be?

 

Nathan Gaines:

 

I think don't be afraid to talk about it.

 

Don't be afraid to reach out. I think it's becoming more and more acceptable for. Athletes, men especially, to talk about their feelings, being open about their feelings and getting help. And I just think it's important to talk about it and not let it dwell because if you let it dwell, it'll get 100% worse like it did with me.

 

Like I would cry at times with my mental issues and there's nothing wrong with that. If you're a man, you should be allowed to, show emotion. It's an old like masculinity thing where men weren't, couldn't show emotion because it made them weak and I think it doesn't make you weak show emotion.

Brandon Kramer:

 

As both a tennis player and fan, do you believe Naomi Osaka speaking out will inspire more people to say, 'Hey, it’s okay to feel this way, and it’s normal'? How important do you think it is that she’s using her voice on this issue?

 

Nathan Gaines:

 

Oh, absolutely.

 

I think that she should use her platform for that kind of thing, and I think her using her platform will inspire other prominent tennis figures to speak about it. I would like if some male tennis players would also speak about it. Say that it's okay to feel this kind of way and, talk about this kind of thing.

 

And everybody deals with this kind of thing and it's not, it doesn't make you weird or weak or anything. I think it's very important that people in that kind of position use it to do good like that.