Cover of The Players’ Tribune’s new book: I’ve Got A Story To Tell
Today not only marks World Mental Health Day but also a significant event for The Players’ Tribune – this month is its 10th anniversary. In celebration of this milestone, they have launched a limited edition book, I’ve Got a Story to Tell. The Players’ Tribune (TPT) was co-founded by Derek Jeter, a baseball legend, back in 2014, and revolutionized sports journalism by creating a platform for athletes to share their stories in their voices.
At the time of The Players’ Tribune’s Launch, mental health concerns were often seen as a weakness and were not commonly talked about in public. However, over the past 10 years, we’ve seen a tremendous shift in athletes using their platforms to normalize the conversation surrounding mental health, and The Players’ Tribune has contributed to providing athletes with a safe space to share their messages in a way that’s comfortable for them.
In 2018, Kevin Love, NBA champion, shared a detailed description of a panic attack he experienced during a game in The Players’ Tribune. Love’s story didn’t just break the silence on discussing mental health so openly, but it started a movement. “Fast forward six years, and I think — and hope — that the story I shared on The Players’ Tribune helped open the door for others to talk about their own challenges, and that it serves as a constant reminder that we’re all human, and everyone is going through something,” shares Love.
His story shared through that article truly opened the door for countless athletes being vulnerable by using their platform to describe their lived experiences and struggles with mental health challenges as well. Love’s story, as well as the narratives of many other athletes, are featured in I’ve Got a Story to Tell, which is a curated collection of athlete-driven stories that highlight both achievements and challenges.
The Evolution of Athlete Storytelling
Sean Conboy, Editor-in-Chief of The Players’ Tribune since its inception, spoke to me about how different the sports media landscape was when TPT launched 10 years ago. “It was such a different world – Snapchat had just come out not long before and the level of vulnerability that athletes display today wasn’t common,” Conboy explains. “Back then, if an athlete spoke about depression, it was seen as a taboo, as though something was ‘wrong’ with them. But athletes just want to be seen as human beings, and we’ve created a platform where they can share their full selves.”
There is no doubt that athletes have grown increasingly comfortable being more of their authentic selves and speaking out about not only the good, but some of the challenges too. “Athletes are now free to be vulnerable,” Conboy says. “When we started speaking to them and building trust, mental health came up—whether it was anxiety, depression, or other issues. That shift is something we’re proud to have played a part in.” The growing openness has not only redefined athletes as human beings like everyone else, but it has also helped lower the stigma around mental health in sports.
Kevin Love’s Impactful Story
Kevin Love’s candid account of experiencing a panic attack during an NBA game was a turning point, not only for TPT but for sports culture at large. His vulnerability in sharing his story created a ripple effect throughout sports at large, which encouraged others to follow in his footsteps. “Kevin’s story was huge,” Conboy recalls. “We had done mental health stories before—but Kevin’s account of a panic attack during an NBA game really resonated and after that, we saw a flood of stories from athletes who felt empowered to speak up about their own mental health.” Love shares his perspective with me as well: “We went from viewing mental health as a weakness to understanding it and even destigmatizing it with more athletes starting to open up about their personal experiences. It also was the catalyst for starting my foundation, the Kevin Love Fund, which works to inspire people to live their healthiest lives by creating equity between mental and physical health.”
While Love’s story is certainly well-known, there are many other stories shared in I’ve Got a Story to Tell. The book includes stories from athletes across various sports and about different topics, as it’s not solely a book on mental health. “There are so many mental health stories in the book,” Conboy says. “From OCD to anorexia, the range of experiences is vast—what ties them together is the trust we’ve built with athletes—they know they can come to us when they’re ready to share their most personal struggles.”
Looking Ahead
As The Players’ Tribune celebrates its 10-year anniversary, they are releasing I’ve Got a Story to Tell on World Mental Health Day, October 10. The platform is taking its mission a step further—using the power of storytelling to continue pushing the conversation around mental health forward. “The Players’ Tribune gives us a space to share our stories, unfiltered and in our own words, which humanizes us beyond the game,” says Love. “Being able to talk about my mental health struggles on TPT not only helped me personally, but it showed people that athletes aren’t immune to the same challenges everyone faces.”
For Conboy, it is of the utmost importance to maintain the trust they’ve built with athletes through their platform, in the way they share authentic stories. “We’ve been able to create something incredibly unique, and that’s why athletes keep coming to us. They know they can be themselves here, and that’s what makes our stories so powerful.”
There’s no doubt that as The Players’ Tribune moves into its second decade, it will continue to make an ever-lasting impact on the world of sports. With the new book launch and a continued celebration of mental health storytelling, The Players’ Tribune looks forward to the future as athletes share their resilience and challenges on their terms.
Love states, “TPT continues to be a powerful platform for normalizing conversations about mental health because it allows athletes to be vulnerable, and in doing so, it encourages others to be open about their experiences. It’s a platform that reminds people that we’re human beings first.”