The month of May was chosen by Mental Health America in 1949 as a dedicated time to focus on mental wellness. The month-long spotlight is important to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, educate the public and amplify the voices of athletes like URFC goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn who use their platforms to champion the importance of mental health in sports and everyday life.
The Florida-born goalkeeper has been involved in sports since childhood. After graduating high school, McGlynn took her talent to Virginia Tech earning a scholarship to play soccer for the Hokies. Starting during all four seasons with Virginia Tech, McGlynn was back-to-back All-ACC first-team goalkeeper ultimately earning a selection at the 2020 NWSL College Draft as the 20th overall pick to Sky Blue FC, now known as Gotham FC.
After playing one season with side Piteå IF, McGlynn returned to Gotham in 2023 before signing with the Royals in its return to Utah in 2024. While mental health has been a growing issue in the United States and around the world, it is also something that has become more normalized in society in recent years. For McGlynn, her time playing soccer at all levels has given her unforgettable experiences as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of taking care of your mental health.
As a young girl growing up playing soccer, mental health wasn’t a topic many were willing to openly speak on but, as society continues to evolve, with athletes like herself willing to use their platforms to speak out and show that while it may be scary to be open, it isn’t something you are alone in. McGlynn reflected on how the stigma around mental health has started to diminish.
“I think the stigma especially in sports has slowly faded and I credit that to athletes coming forward about their struggles and saying it’s okay to get help,” she said. “With that we’re also entering environments that have sports psychologists on teams and the NWSL has mental health leave so I feel like we’re more supported as well,” McGlynn stated.
McGlynn has continued to prove her talent between the posts. She started in all 24 matches of both the 2024 and 2025 seasons for URFC and earned multiple call-ups to the highly competitive and incredibly stacked U.S. Women’s National Team. Her inclusion on multiple rosters for international friendlies and team camps gave her an in-depth look at how mental health is viewed at the highest level of women’s soccer in America.
“When you talk about Mental Health at the highest level, I think of my time with the U.S. Women’s National Team and the constant conversation and openness they have when thinking about your mental health. They actually call it mental fitness, which is really cool because they just normalize it as any other muscle that you need to work out and put effort into it.”
Spending time with the USWNT as well as putting in the work and effort to keep her mentality positive proved most important earlier this season. After sustaining an injury to her finger this February at a national training camp, McGlynn was sidelined, forcing her to take time off, digging into her tool box to stay positive and continue to feel like a part of the team although she couldn’t be on the pitch.
“Patience was definitely the toughest part for me. You know, physically, I’m fine. I can run, I can kick a ball, I can do 80% of what goalkeepers do in a game. I just couldn’t make any saves for a while, so I just had to wait,” said McGlynn. “It was hard to be patient, but then I was able to direct my focus into something else.”
McGlynn chose to focus on what she could control, spending time with the people she loves and continuing to show up to the facilities to cheer on her teammates. One of the biggest things she remembers from that time was getting to spend more time with the other URFC players that were injured, choosing to be a leader and putting her energy into lifting them up.
As a player who was on the pitch for the entirety of her past two seasons with URFC, McGlynn chose to turn her injury into a positive experience, spending time with teammates, enjoying the rehab process, and reminding herself that she has an identity outside of being a goalkeeper.
“I think my identity is something I have worked on for a long time and it is valuable work because if you put all of your identity into soccer, you kind of lose what you value. So for me, what I put my energy into is, I know I’m a good teammate. I know I’m a leader and I know I want to work as hard as I can in everything I do.”
For many athletes, their identity is immensely linked to their sport. When spending most days training, competing in matches and doing everything possible to remain healthy, athletes can lose sight of the other aspects of them and their lives that make them who they are. McGlynn knows the importance of surrounding herself with people who lift her up and love her, as well as finding joy in hobbies outside of soccer.
“For me, it’s taking time away from soccer and spending it with people that I love. I have this fun new hobby where I’m learning guitar, so that’s been really nice to just stop my brain from overthinking,” She reflected. “I’ll even force my family to be on Facetime with me while I’m playing guitar and it’s nice to have those little moments.”
As an athlete at the highest level, McGlynn has worked to find the balance between her career and finding the time to fill her cup. It is important to her to use the platform she has earned to remind everyone that it is okay to ask for help, and it’s important to pour into yourself.
“I just want to continue to help to normalize it. To let people know that it’s okay and that athletes can struggle too. For the longest time, I thought maybe my problems weren’t that big of a deal to go seek therapy,” said McGlynn. “It’s okay to ask for help, and for me I want every boy, girl and teammate to know it’s okay and there’s always help available and it’s important to take time to fill your cup.”
As the conversations around mental health continue to grow in sports and beyond, athletes like McGlynn are increasingly important and necessary in helping to lead the way by showing vulnerability, resilience and strength. Through their willingness to speak openly, McGlynn and many other athletes are helping to create a culture. The message is simple: Mental health matters, and no one should ever feel alone in asking for help.