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Patrick McCaffery sends message of appreciation for support during mental health leave of absence

On3 imageby:Dan Morrison•01/09/23•

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Patrick McCaffery
Icon Sportswire / Contributor PhotoG/Getty

Iowa forward Patrick McCaffery stepped away from the team to take care of his mental health and anxiety. McCaffery made this decision known in a statement in early January.

In response to his decision, fans have shown their support for McCaffery, hoping he is able to get the help that he needs during his time away. So, McCaffery took to Twitter to thank those who have supported him during his leave of absence.

“Have been off twitter but wanted to come back and just thank everybody for their support,” Patrick McCaffery wrote.

“It means the world to my family and I. I am taking this time to find peace, and will be back on the court with my brothers when I am ready. btw: HAWKS ARE HOT.”

This season, Patrick McCaffery has averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. It would be great for the Hawkeyes to have him on the court, but it will be even better once he’s there and ready to be there too.

“I have been battling anxiety for a while, and recently it has peaked, which has inhibited my preparation and performance on the court. It’s not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself. The anxiety has affected my sleep, appetite, and stamina, which has resulted in not having the energy level necessary to compete at my full capabilities,” McCaffery said in his statement.

“My struggle with anxiety affects every aspect of my well-being and makes it incredibly difficult to function normally. This is what I am battling right now. For this reason, I am taking an indefinite leave to address my situation. It might be two games, it may be four games, it may be more, but I will return when I feel like myself. My leave of absence is not related to my past battle with cancer.”

Fran McCaffery on Patrick’s leave of absence

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery is actually the father of Patrick McCaffery. He has since opened up about why his son needed to take a leave from the team.

“I think he said it pretty well, in terms of how he feels and how his body feels at any point in time in terms of his eating and sleeping and so forth. His energy level isn’t where it needs to be. He’s pretty transparent about how he feels, and so we’re just trying to help him feel better,” McCaffery said.

“I think father first. Just concerned about his well-being. But then, if he’s struggling in the game, coach him up, then assess where he is physically. Then that, of course, is going to affect his minutes if his stamina is an issue, which it has been recently. We keep an eye on it.”