One year after the shocking failure of Simone Bales at the Tokyo Olympics, the situation with the issue of mental health in sport appears to be substantially improved, or at least breaking the taboo.
The top American gymnast of the modern era was "forced" to withdraw from most of the events at the top event in order to preserve her mental and therefore physical health, as she faced many problems with her psychological state.
Biles' confession was a catalyst for many people in sport to talk about mental health.
As was the case with Thierry Henry, who, speaking to the French newspaper "L'Equipe", shocked readers: "Crying was impossible. It was impossible to show your weaknesses. They said to me 'Thierry, don't cry, don't cry'. I cried, alone, but I fought not to crack. Now I cry."
As Greg Decamps, a sports psychology researcher at the University of Bordeaux, argues, the inability to express oneself is explained by the fact that "the sporting environment remains one in which we worship excellence, strength, masculinity and any sign of weakness is completely forbidden."
Anyone who speaks out "will be seen, and most often wrongly, as one who is not credible and capable enough to play in the French league, the Olympics, etc. Not to mention that in disciplines like football with huge economic stakes, apart from physical injuries, which cannot be concealed, the rest is a matter of secret defence," adds the eminent scientist".
Almost a year has also passed since Naomi Osaka's "collapse" at Roland Garros, with the champion from Japan referring to "long periods of depression" and "social anxiety", which prompted the application of a project by the French Tennis Federation (FFT), entitled "mental and psychological dimension".
In the United States, the women's soccer league (NWSL) included a "six-month mental health leave" in its collective agreement last February.
"Girls who suffer anterior cruciate ligament tears are always paid, even if they are absent from the team for months. Why treat mental pain differently?" asked Carrie Roccaro, who suffered a serious injury and worked for such a leave.
The coach of the French Olympic women's handball team, Olivier Crumboltz, notes that "the suffering is expressed more than before" and adds: "even more so when the results are there. Despite the impressive victory in Japan, there was suffering then, too. I am convinced that a successful athlete is a happy athlete."
Of course, there are many sacrifices behind top honours. "High-level athletes are much more exposed than others to very extreme sources of stress," DeCamps explains and clarifies: "They experience performance anxiety, which can become somewhat abnormal when it persists and causes pain. They are more mentally abused than the average population. Although the high-level environment can bore them, it teaches them to develop the ability to adapt to stressful environments." Twenty years ago, it was the same for mental preparation. No one said, "I'm seeing a specialist." Now, we are starting to see the same thing in relation to consultations in clinical sports psychology, because we cannot get athletes to play if there are psychological difficulties that have not been resolved."
Finally, special mention should be made of social media, as Karin Moes, a sports psychologist at the Swedish Sports Confederation, pointed out during a symposium: "It's a stressful element," while Formula One champion Lando Norris recently addressed this issue, as he was the "recipient" of hate messages towards him and his family, as is the case with dozens of athletes around the world.
Source: CNA
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