Pre-season, the calm before the storm?

A proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing

Whilst pre-season has its intensities, like meeting new people, sprinting up sand dunes, endless bronco tests etc, it also brings some calm before the storm. There’s opportunity to take time to get to know people well, to be intentional in relationship building and to introduce staff clearly and their roles. As a Head Coach or Team Manager, there’s probably time to look at where there might be gaps in provision for mental health and wellbeing. Is it the Sport Psychologists role, or the Wellbeing Lead, or the Player Development Manager or Chaplain listening and then signposting? Is there a gap in provision where confidential and professional support can be offered which is not about performance but the person?

Bringing clarity to your backroom staff roles and then communicating it to the entire squad is one of the most helpful things you can do in the time before the pressure of the season. Introducing each staff member and their role, what’s within their remit and what isn’t. How they can be contacted and when they’re available. Thinking ahead to potential barriers for a member of the team accessing wellbeing or mental health support and offering solutions in advance can enable much more effective and impactful support. Players will likely be thinking things such as: will this be confidential, will the whole team know, can I meet with someone on the phone rather than in person, can it be outside of the training time and venue, will I be the only one needing support, is it weird to seek support? These are easy questions to provide simple and safe solutions to, and often being proactive rather than reactive will be far more beneficial in preventing poor mental health and supporting good mental health.

If you’d like help thinking through how you can set up your pre-season mental health and wellbeing system, drop me an email heathernaomilewis@gmail.com