Eakraj Raut: Varsity-Level Soccer Player

-Senior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California

-Player on Monta Vista’s Boys Varsity Soccer Team 

-Club Player for Santa Clara Sporting Green 04

How do you manage soccer, school, friends, family, etc.?

“For me, there’s always a timetable or schedule for soccer. I just make plans for what my schedule is going to look like and do it every day. Managing my time is never a problem for me because taking those 5-10 minutes in the morning really helps me.”

How do you deal with burnout?
“I just rest or ice my body if I am feeling burned out or sore because of practice the day before. I also hang out with friends and if I am still exhausted, I usually take a break for a day or two. I can then feel better and go back to what I am doing.”

How do you deal with stress during and before games/tournaments/showcases?
“I always drink some water, take a few minutes to calm myself down, and listen to some good music that gets me hyped up for the game. I just try and do better than my previous game and really only focus on that. I just try and improve as much as possible. Getting the right mentality is really important before a game to calm yourself down and reduce stress.”

Is there any parental pressure? How do you deal with it?
“Currently, there isn’t but there was some pressure before. My parents would tell me that I needed to make the best team, play well, and start on the team but the way I dealt with that was by communicating with them and telling them how I felt. They understood but I also compromised and did some of the things they wanted me to do. It was good in both ways.”

Is mental health talked about on your team? Would you like to see it talked about? “Not really. Currently, the team environment is really good - everyone’s friendly and encouraging. No one really puts other people down and so everyone is having fun and there are only good vibes on my team. Mental health is not really a problem for my team but it could be a problem on many other teams that don’t have the same team environment that we do. If the environment was not good, the first step would be to talk to your parents or guardians and then friends. You could also talk to the coach because the coach is a very good resource. If someone on the team is saying something bad about you, you can talk to the coach and he will handle the rest. What I don’t recommend is keeping it to yourself and doing nothing about it.”

What other external pressures affect soccer? (peer pressure, social media)
“When you play bad, you get scared about what your friends and teammates are going to say about you. You might not get enough playing time and you end up getting scared about what your friends and your parents will think about you - especially when you have bad games. There is always pressure in soccer games and the pressure is that you have to play well - you have to produce results for the team. If you don’t, there are always consequences and this can create this fear which in turn, increases the pressure on you to perform. Even if you play well, you have pressure on you because everyone will expect the same performance - or better - for the next game. That’s how you get better though, by taking everything one step at a time.”

Has moving into higher-intensity and more competitive soccer taken a toll on your mental health? How is it different from 6-7 years ago?
“6 to 7 years ago, it was lighter and not as competitive as it is right now. The skill has definitely developed which has created a more competitive environment. The club and games have become very competitive because everyone is at the top level. Especially when you are playing at a high level, everyone is at your level which makes the game a lot harder compared to a long time ago, when it was more fun partly because there isn’t much skill developed among everyone yet. We were all not good at the time and so there wasn’t that much pressure. When we get older, however, the competitiveness increases and the stakes are a lot larger than before. The games get a lot harder which takes a toll on your mental health over time.”

Are you comfortable talking to teammates about mental health and pressure? What types of teammates help with your mental health/wellness?
“Yes, because if you feel any pressure when playing soccer, talking to your teammates is always good because there will always be someone on the team who wants to encourage you. That’s what teammates are for. If you feel uncomfortable, you just talk to them and if one of your teammates gets less playing time, you make sure to cheer for them when they do play and encourage them. Making sure to increase their confidence as much as possible is one of your jobs as a teammate. When they score, hype them up and celebrate with them. Those little things may not seem like much but they go a long way and help a lot.