When the Season Ends: How to Guide Athletes Through Offseason Emotions

When the final whistle of the season blows, emotions can run high. For many young athletes, the end of a season can feel like stepping off a moving train: suddenly, the structure, energy, and identity that came with competition are gone. And with it comes a myriad of emotions, including relief, pride, disappointment, or depression. 

In fact, a study from the National Library of Medicine of collegiate soccer and cross-country athletes found that nearly 14% reported feeling depressed after their seasons were over.

What often gets overlooked is how deeply this transition affects both the body and the mind. The physical grind of a season takes a toll, but so does the mental shift that comes when the noise fades. 

If athletes don’t take time to process what they’ve experienced (the wins, losses, and everything in between), stress can linger in the body, motivation can dip, and confidence can waver heading into the next chapter.

That’s why reflection is just as critical as training. It’s not about replaying every game; it’s about understanding how the season shaped your athlete mentally, emotionally, and physically.

The National Sports Association of Wellness and Mental Fitness (NSAWMF) encourages parents and coaches to use the ROAR framework as a simple, evidence-based approach to help athletes close one chapter and prepare for the next with resilience and purpose.

Take Time to Reflect and Identify the Wins

Before athletes move forward from their season, they need to pause and look back. Reflecting on the season allows them to recognize moments of progress and build a healthy sense of pride in what they accomplished.

Encourage your athlete to think about:

• What moments made them proud?

• What challenges helped them grow?

• What did I learn about myself as an athlete?

• What changes helped me stay calm when I felt pressure?

  
  

Reflection isn’t just about reliving highlights; it’s about connecting emotional experiences to physical awareness. For example, our co-founder and chief sports psychologist, Dr. Jei Pearcey, shared breathing techniques that help athletes notice how their bodies respond under stress and how simple tools can restore balance in the moment.

Parent Tip: Create space for conversation. Instead of focusing on statistics or outcomes, ask open-ended questions that invite storytelling. Try, “What did you enjoy most about this season?” or “When did you feel most confident?” These questions remind athletes that growth and effort matter as much as results.

Encouraging this kind of reflection helps young athletes anchor their self-worth in effort and learning, not just in outcomes.

Focus on Accountability

Once athletes have identified their wins, the next step is recognizing where they had control and where they didn’t. 

This helps them separate external factors (like a tough ref call or team loss) from the choices that truly shape their performance.

Talk with your athlete about what accountability looks like in action:

• Showing up to practice with focus and effort

• Maintaining a positive attitude, even when frustrated

• Supporting teammates, win or lose

  
  

These behaviors build consistency and mental strength. Visualization techniques (like those used and taught by NSAWMF co-founder and former NFL great Sammy Knight) help prepare for big moments and can reinforce this sense of responsibility. 

When athletes mentally rehearse showing up focused and composed, they’re training their minds to respond with discipline in real life.

Help them understand the difference between blame and ownership. Blame focuses on what went wrong; ownership focuses on what can be done differently next time. 

By learning to take ownership, athletes develop confidence and emotional maturity, the building blocks of leadership on and off the field.

Adopt a Growth Mindset

As the season ends, it’s natural for athletes to feel either relief or regret. The key is helping them channel both emotions into motivation. Encourage them to identify one or two areas where they’d like to grow next season.

Growth doesn’t always mean training harder. It can mean training smarter. Maybe it’s improving mental focus before a game, strengthening communication with teammates, or maintaining balance between school and sports.

Coaches and parents can support this process by framing feedback constructively:

• “What’s one thing you’d do differently next time?”

• “What did that challenge teach you about yourself?”

  
  

This kind of dialogue nurtures curiosity instead of criticism. When young athletes view mistakes as information (not failure), they build resilience and adaptability. These are the same qualities that drive lifelong success in sports and beyond.

Encourage athletes to document their reflections. Writing down goals or lessons helps them visualize progress and reinforces accountability when the new season begins.

Don’t Forget to Rest

After months of competition, the body and mind need time to reset. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s a crucial part of performance and well-being.

Athletes who skip recovery often experience burnout, emotional fatigue, or sleep disruption, which can impact their mental and physical health. Recovery allows the body to repair and the mind to integrate everything learned throughout the season.

Encourage athletes to:

• Practice mindfulness or gratitude to calm the nervous system

• Spend time in nature or with friends outside of sports

• Revisit personal goals with perspective and self-compassion

  
  

Parent Note: Allow for downtime before setting new goals or expectations. Resist the urge to rush into offseason training or summer leagues right away. Decompression time helps athletes process emotions, restore energy, and reignite their love for the game.

Bringing ROAR to Life

ROAR is most effective when it becomes part of your family or team culture. Reflection and recovery shouldn’t be isolated exercises. They should be shared practices that strengthen the community around young athletes.

Here are a few ways to bring ROAR to life:

• End-of-Season ROAR Journal Prompt: Encourage athletes to write short reflections using the questions above.

• Team ROAR Session: Coaches can lead a group discussion to celebrate wins, share lessons, and set intentions for next season.

• Model It Yourself: Parents and coaches can reflect on their own experiences—what they learned, how they managed stress, or how they’ll support athletes differently next year.

Consistency is key. Practicing ROAR year-round builds mental fitness just like regular training builds physical strength. Don’t wait for a tough season or emotional setback to start.

Closing the Season, Opening New Growth

The end of a season isn’t an ending; it’s a turning point. Helping athletes ROAR prepares them for more than just the next game. It builds emotional intelligence, confidence, and resilience that extend far beyond sports.

With the right tools and support, every athlete can learn to process, recover, and grow stronger from each chapter of their journey.

Ready to Help Your Athlete ROAR?

Join our new program JusBeGreat  to learn how to support your child’s mental fitness year-round.

Are you ready to develop your mental fitness as an athlete? Join the National Sports Association of Wellness & Mental Fitness (NSAWMF) and become part of a community committed to total athletic development—mind, body, and spirit.

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Disclaimer: The content provided by the National Sports Association of Wellness & Mental Fitness (NSAWMF) is for performance and developmental purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing mental health challenges or emotional distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional. Always consult a qualified provider with any questions you may have regardin