By Flora Gonska:
Often in sports student athlete are pushed to extremes. High school and even younger aged sports have become ultra-competitive. Score Beyond Sports is a project that gives student athletes a space to talk about the various aspects of their lives including, but not limited to, the sports they play. Read on for more!
FG: Tell us all about you and your organization!
COVID-19 has already made a massive impact on the world of professional sports, canceling every major sporting event, disallowing fans from attending and athletes from playing. While it is a disappointment for all involved, it is especially devastating for all student-athletes, like myself, for whom playing sports is a big part of our lives. SBS is a youth-led project designed to showcase amazing student-athletes and allow them to share some of their inspiring stories to provide an inside look into their lives, showcasing their interests and talents away from sports. Our mission is to show that community how important it is to take care of yourself, whether it be on the field or off. Mental health is a very prevalent issue in sports and should definitely not go unnoticed during these tough times.
FG: Why do you think it’s important for your generation to let their voices be heard?
I believe it is extremely important for my generation to let our voices be heard because this generation especially is crawling with creativity and drive that can potentially change the world. With this generation especially, I feel like we are starting to stray away from old traditions and reform into bigger and better things.
FG: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future?
I am optimistic because we are the future. The future is in our hands, and it's up to us to decide what we want to do with it.
FG: What are the most important issues facing our world right now? And in the future?
Personally I believe climate change is a very prevalent issue. As of now, there is an increase in the human ecological footprint and in greenhouse gas emissions. If we don’t start acting now, we might not even have a future!
FG: What does your organization offer that helps the world be a better place?
Score Beyond Sports is a unique organization that allowed me to open up and talk about something that many athletes tend to be scared to speak up about: our mental health. People need to begin to realize that playing sports does not make athletes immune to mental health challenges. With pressures to perform in the game, as well as in the rest of their public lives, being an athlete can be incredibly challenging for a person’s mental health. And oftentimes it is scary to open up, because as athletes we are so used to putting on this tough persona that talking and opening up seems foreign. As a result, I was inspired to tell my story through Score Beyond Sports and hope to inspire others to seek help to support the cause.
FG: Tell everyone where to find you online and on social platforms.
Instagram: @scorebeyondsports Website: https://scorebeyondsports5.wixsite.com/sports
I am currently looking for people who will be willing to be featured on the SBS blog. If anyone is interested fill out this form.
A Cleveland, OH, native, Flora Gonska is a non-binary trans woman from a big family. She's a writer, video producer/editor, and artist. An avid supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and equality movement, she has lived in Los Angeles for three years, and she's involved in and enjoys writing on politics, the LGBTQ+ community, and life in the U.S.