Common Public Goals

Within the discourse community of professional athletes, there are many similarities in goals for athletes.  Although obviously, every sport is not the same, the ultimate intention is to win the game, and game-by-game, advance towards the dream of a championship. Each athlete shares this target, whether its an individual goal or a team mindset.  Athletes are required to wear protective gear, to prevent injuries, depending on the sport.  In addition, these athletes are required to keep in tip-top shape.  They have to workout (fitness coaches), eat healthy, (dieticians specifically assigned to the players), and attend practices and film sessions depending on the sport (ie: basketball, football, baseball, etc).  It is not all great though.  Professional athletes do deal with mental health issues, and injuries.  According to Andreas Strohle, "negative life events, stress, injuries, and the everyday grind of a season are all risk factors for the mental health of a professional athlete."  That is why some sports teams require some of their athletes to get mental health and well-being checks annually.  This is something that people within this discourse community suffer from.