For Clara Baiwir, athletes, both men and women, talk about mental health. “Men don’t have any less difficulty talking to me about it. Gymnast Simone Biles has spoken a lot about her mental health, so perhaps there is greater visibility of this topic among women. But that doesn’t mean men don’t talk about it individually.“On the other hand, the psychologist recognizes that talking about it can have an influence on the team dynamic.”HAS From the moment we admit that we are not 100% mentally ready, we can ask ourselves the question of whether others will still count on us. There are a lot of variables that come into play before speaking publicly, as is the case for Lukaku“.
Victory is not always synonymous with recognition
“Athletes live for one goal, for one and the same thing: victory. Once the goal has passed, we forget to set new goals. We can easily fall into depression, and this is what sometimes happens after major competitions like the Olympic Games.“, explains the sports psychologist. “After such competitions, where we prepare for years, there is a huge void. We also have to prepare for the future and this is clearly what has not been done for Romelu Lukaku. We did not prepare for the post-World Cup. And it’s the same thing in case of victory. It is not after a victory that athletes will necessarily feel joy or be proud of themselves. They tend to forget it.”
For Clara Baiwir, it is not because football players are very well paid that they do not deserve attention to their mental health. “It doesn’t matter how much an athlete earns. Behind a profession there is a human being. People too often forget that it’s their job. It would be wrong to judge a salary rather than taking care of their mental health“And for the sports psychologist, social networks and the press don’t help anything.”All comments in the press, comments from the public or from federations have an impact on their mental health. For the athlete but also for his family. It has already happened that athletes have been physically attacked because of their poor performances. Behind the athlete there is a human being, we must never forget that. When we talk about poor results on a performance, it’s not just a performance. It’s tons of sacrifices and preparations“.
Find each Friday of 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sébastien Pierret et Patrick Weber In “We haven’t finished talking about it” on VivaCité.
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