present – are going public with their experiences. Indeed, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, Rugby
Players’ Association and Professional Footballers’ Association have all seen an increase in members
accessing support in recent years as sporting and societal attitudes towards mental health have changed.
The athletes themselves have played a massive role in this shift. “The more players/ex-players that speak
openly about their issues in the press and media often leads to a spike in calls,” Shellie Heather, deputy
CEO at Sporting Chance, tells The Independent. This was the case with the PFA after both Danny Rose and
Aaron Lennon went public with their respective struggles.
Sport needs more of these brave individuals. These are the men and women with the power, through the
simple act of speaking, to change the discussion around mental health. But sport also needs those
individuals who aren’t afraid to put their wellbeing first. As Marcus Trescothick showed in retiring from
international cricket, sometimes there are those obstacles too great to overcome. In some instances, the
decision to take a step back may be the only option available to alleviate an athlete’s inner turmoil. In these
cases, athletes need to know it’s acceptable to do so. As well as challenging cricket’s own stigma,
Trescothick demonstrated that there are some things more important than sport.
So how to continue the progress that has been made so far? Crucially, more corners of the sporting
community need to appreciate that the pursuit of success and the preservation of athlete welfare needn’t be
mutually exclusive. The two can work hand in hand. Success comes at a cost, of course, but the price of that
cost can be determined by the application of emotional intelligence, open communication and education.
Take coaching culture as the most obvious example. History shows that a coach who pushes his athletes to
their physical and mental edge, who berates and abuses, who rules through fear – these individuals can
cultivate success (however short-lived it may be). But it needn’t be this way. Those player-centric coaches
who tailor their ways and words to suit the characteristics of their athletes – whether that means
admonishing one individual and placing an arm around another in times of defeat – can similarly deliver
results while preserving an athlete’s mental wellbeing. The presence of pressure remains absolutely vital but
establishing the right approach is what sets these coaches apart from their less emotionally-educated peers.
Unique to the world of team sports is also the ability to pick those players who fit the mould of a club’s
particular culture. Recruiting a footballer or cricketer who suits the values of a club, and avoiding those who
do not, drastically reduces the potential for conflict. “Perhaps it comes down to ensuring, early on in the
process, that the individual has the mental and emotional resilience to be an active part of that landscape,”
says Heather. “They may have the physical skills and attributes to be a professional sportsperson, but do
they have the mental and emotional skillset?”
Individual sports don’t necessarily have this “luxury”, says Dr James Bell, head of mental health at UK
Sport. From the Olympic and Paralympic perspective, a coach’s emotional intelligence is even more
important in getting the most out of their athletes. “When you’re at that professional level and have the
people around you, what makes them professional is if they can adapt to each individual and they know how
to push you,” Ellie Simmonds tells The Independent. “That dictatorship... that being controlled doesn’t work
for me. But for other people it does.”
As shown earlier in the series, sport’s toxic coaching cultures continue to persist. But with the right action
from the relevant authorities in educating their coaches and purging those disruptive influences, change can
be achieved. Only with a concerted, top-down effort is elite sport going to create those balanced, flexible
and accommodating environments that push athletes to be their best without driving them to the brink.