BRD210: Athlete Welfare and Mental Wellbeing - Critical Essay

This essay critically examines the crucial topic of athlete welfare and mental wellbeing in the context of professional sports, drawing upon lecture content and relevant research. It addresses the increasing prevalence of mental health problems and addiction among current and former athletes, exploring the multifaceted challenges they face, including the pressures of elite competition, media scrutiny, and the transition out of sports. The essay delves into the dimensions of mental wellbeing, including self-acceptance, relationships, autonomy, and purpose, and highlights the various stressors athletes encounter, such as sole athletic identity, perfectionism, and retirement. It emphasizes the need for comprehensive understanding, informed guidance for sports practitioners, and proactive measures like open communication and commercial support to ensure athlete welfare. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of planning for retirement, the role of athletes' associations, and the use of dual-diagnosis treatment for addiction. The essay concludes by emphasizing the correlation between athlete wellbeing and performance, advocating for a supportive environment, and proposing practical strategies for improving athlete welfare, including cultural evolution, staff training, and athlete-friendly complaint processes. It underscores the significance of support networks and proactive measures to address the multifaceted challenges faced by athletes.

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World of Sports
Name
Course
Date of Submission

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Athlete welfare and mental wellbeing
According to the World Health Organization, athletes who can realize their potentials, coping
with life stresses, working fruitfully and productively, and is also able to make remarkable
contributions in their communities are considered to be in a state of wellbeing. Mental wellbeing
cuts across six significant dimensions, which include an athlete's self-acceptance, positive
relationships with other people, their autonomy, having an environmental mastery, an athlete's
personal growth, and their purposes in life.
Consequently, research has proved that there are about six hundred and forty distinct threats
linked to the wellbeing of athletes. They may include their own sole athletic identity,
perfectionism, retirement from sport, toughness, media, role strain, among others. It is, however,
critical that some elite athletes consider these stressors as opportunities for their growth, mastery,
and development. The adversities they faced had a significant role in shaping them into the elites
they are. They say that the difficulties would help them in developing a competitive
psychological edge1
Subsequently, the lack of high quality has hugely limited the wellbeing and the mental health of
elite athletes. This set of the population is critically vulnerable to a variety of mental health
problems. Some of these problems include the misuse of a substance, which is related to both
sporting and non-sporting factors. With this in mind, there is a need for more significant
intervention and epidemiological studies that will be aimed at identifying and responding to the
player's mental health necessities.
1 Hong, Hee Jung. ". 2018. Top athletes struggle to adjust away from the limelight–more should
be done for them." The Conversation

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On the other hand, ex-athletes are seen to battle with mental health problems and addictions
during and after their careers. The increasingly intense physical and mental demands put on these
athletes is unique compared to other professions. It increases the susceptibility to particular risk-
taking behaviors and mental health problems. Data obtained from studies prove that elite athletes
experience a broadly comparable risk linked to the prevalence of mental disorders. These mental
disorders will include depression and anxiety.
Body
Media and intense public scrutiny have been on the rise. This serves as a primary and unique
variety of stressors that elite athletes experience. There has been a symbolic connection between
sports, the media, and athletes. It has contributed to sports anxiety that brings along
consequences like the fear of failing. Also, considering that the negative comments from their
fans may affect their overall performance as athletes or a team. Harmful content can be spread
more quickly through social media2.
Mental health problems and addictions have been vital among the ex-athletes and athletes. The
physical and mental demands placed on such athletes are said to be unique. The means through
which athletes can cope with such stressors is a vital determinant of the impact they have on their
sporting success and mental health in general. Athletes face stressors that vary from raising
public scrutiny via social media, unavailability of support networks because of relocation,
potential injuries that may lead to end their careers prematurely, and the team dynamics in the
team sports.
2 Bentkowska, Magdalena. 2019. "Pro-health Behaviours in Time Budget of Ex-cyclists." Central
European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine 25, no. 1

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Consequently, certain things need to be done to ensure the player's welfare. By just developing a
comprehensive understanding that encompasses the mental and psychological wellbeing of the
elites, then the potential of advancing means of care will be improved for this population. This
will, in turn, facilitate the performance gains of the specific group. There is a need to give
informed guidance to sport practitioners. Some of such groups include the coaches, the medical
and sports psychologists who play a role in raising and developing the abilities of elite athletes.
This serves to improve their emotional wellbeing.
In addition, it is also estimated that almost more than half of the ex-athletes have
concerns with their mental and emotional wellbeing since they retired. Most of them claimed to
have lost their identity. Thoughts of devastation loss, regrets, and loss fill their minds. Struggles
of finding a new purpose have to lead to severe issues such as self-harm, addiction, depression,
and, ultimately, financial problems. It is estimated that such struggles combat even the most
prepared athletes. Retirement to them becomes a grieving process and painful adventure. Most of
this is caused by the athlete's focus on success that they forget to plan for their future lives3
On the contrary, there is a shifting focus concerning the general player welfare. Open
lines of communication have been stated as crucial for shifting the paradigm of mental health.
The elite athlete welfare majorly covers a broad aspect, the health, wellbeing, and overall safety
of the elite athlete.
Moreover, elite athletes should receive some commercial support that will enable them to make
a living out of sporting activities. In reality, very few elite athletes can afford stable lifestyles
even as they continue pursuing their sporting careers. It is logical that for elite athletes to be able
3 Gallicchio, G., A. Cooke, and C. Ring. 2017. "Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice
golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis.".

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to compete favorably, then they need to be able to access training facilities, have food on their
tables and pay rent for their houses4.
Coincidentally, many sporting organizations struggle financially. They are unable to strike a
balance between the needs of the participants and those of the elite athletes. Some also rely
entirely on external funds, and whenever there is a shortage, then the athletes stand to suffer the
consequences. With the absence of transparent sources for funding, then it becomes difficult for
organizations to make favorable decisions concerning the future. Ultimately, the pressure is
placed on the athlete who puts a compromise on athlete welfare.
Furthermore, life after sports and outside can be bothersome. There is an excellent necessity for
elite athletes to make preparations for their retirement. There are numerals examples of ex-
athletes who have struggled with the transition from sports into life. Most of them know that
such a time would ultimately come, some have even thought about that time, but it still appears
to shocking and detrimental to the athletes in question5.
Critically, elite athletes should start planning for their lives. This will minimize the issues of
mental health and addictions they battle with, especially after finishing their careers. They also
need to have some study, work, or any other activity that complements their sporting career. It is
essential to make a conscious decision concerning the period for which one shall be in sporting.
4 Curran, Conor. 2015. "Post-playing careers of Irish-born footballers in England, 1945–
2010." Sport in Society 18, no. 10.
5 Locher, Julianne, M., 2016. "Factors impacting the retirement experience of
professional football players." Ph.D. diss., Vanderbilt University,

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Most athletes are forced to join an alternative job, especially after an injury or when they were
not selected.
Most importantly, retired players need to become part of an active players association. Such an
association plays a role in taking away a pile of distractions that many players don't worry about.
Ex-athletes can benefit because their genuine interests are well represented. It shapes their skills
in understanding how to well balance the sporting needs with life outside sports6.
Unfortunately, addictions affect most of the ex-athletes. It is estimated that a large number of
them use prescription painkillers after the end of their careers. There are a couple of reasons that
are linked to this behavior pattern of substance abuse among the ex-athletes. Athletes work under
a lot of pressure, they try keeping up so that they can stay on the spot light of their careers. Most
of them rely on painkillers because of the pain that they keep experiencing even while playing or
exercising. The prolonged use of these substances during their career life is what contributes to
exceeding dependency even after their careers are long gone.
On the positive side, there is a possibility of overcoming such addictions. Dual-diagnosis
serves as the right treatment that would heal from such disorders. It advocates for the proper
diagnosis of an individual and also giving an appropriate medication that enables treating of
mental illness alongside their substance abuse disorder7.
6 Wilkowich, McMillan. 2016. "The phenomenological analysis of psychospiritual
transformation in athletic retirement and everyday narcissism in former athletes." Ph.D.
diss., Lethbridge, Alta.: The University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education.
7 Clowes, H., P. Lindsay, L. Fawcett, and Z. R. Knowles. 2015. Clowes, H., P. Lindsay, L.
Fawcett, and Z. R. Knowles. "Experiences of the pre and post-retirement period of

7
Also, athletes and ex-athletes are encouraged to become part of a support group that provides a
platform for them to share and talk about their career experiences. Such groups offer a safe
ground for athletes to talk about their experiences and struggles freely. They are also
characterized by love and compassion for one another, especially for those who are suffering.
Most ex-athletes feel as though they have lost life purposes and goals. They seem to be no longer
in the spotlight, but offering them an opportunity to provide help to someone rekindles their use
and strength.
In line with that, the sporting organization should realize their role in protecting the
athletes' health that encompasses their mental health and physical injuries. For instance, if an
athlete suffers from depression, burnouts, or any other mental illness because of their mental
illnesses, then the organization should take full responsibility. They should also ensure treatment
and educational measures put in place to help cub the mental health problems8.
Mental health is linked to a variety of issues that range from depression to performance anxiety,
among other mental illnesses. There are specific pressures that are related to high-performance
environments that lead to health problems. There is a need for training so that coaches and other
personnel of support can be fully aware of suffering among their athletes and the proper
responses.
Subsequently, the athlete's wellbeing is more focused on the environment the athletes operate
from and the experience they have in that particular environment. This experience is linked to its
female elite artistic gymnasts: An exploratory study." Sport and Exercise Psychology
Review 11, no. 2 (2015).
8 Marsters, Caleb. 2017. "Young Pacific Male Athletes and Positive Mental Wellbeing." Ph.D.
diss., ResearchSpace@ Auckland

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culture and leadership of the same. The key influencers to building the wellbeing of an athlete
are based on competition requirements, health, and safety, training load, life after, and outside
sports, among others.
Besides, the mental wellbeing and an athlete's welfare is directly correlated to their performance.
Athletes should have their minds working optimally as their bodies. It is estimated that athletes
have little or no power ver their self-determination, and hence, they rely wholeheartedly on the
coaches who make decisions that, in the long run, affect their wellbeing.
Ultimately, there is a great need for athletes to continue engaging on matters related to
their welfare and rights. Their wellbeing and personal performance should be taken as mutual
reinforcement rather than a conflict between each other. If the issues relating to the athlete's
welfare are well addressed, then this will cause improved outcomes9.
I am protecting the athlete welfare demands that the participants operate in the limit of their
physical capabilities to stand a chance of being successful. The support teams and the athletes
must work hand in hand to help in pursuing excellence.
Firstly, for the implementation of positive changes in sports, the following need to be put into
consideration. The evolution of the culture in a bid to realizing the mutual exclusivity of the
relationship and raising the organizational expectations that are aimed at setting leadership
principles, shared goals, and employee behavior10. Focusing on the athletes will help in providing
9 McFarland, Michael S., 2016. Measuring the Effectiveness of NCAA Division II Student-
Athlete Alcohol Interventions: To Scare or to Educate. Northcentral University.
10 Locher, Julianne, M., 2016. "Factors impacting the retirement experience of professional
football players." Ph.D. diss., Vanderbilt University

9
better training for the staff and hence placing greater emphasis on improving the interpersonal
skills and management. Providing more comfortable athlete appeals lodging processes that
would ensure well explained and effective whistleblowing channels that exist11.
In conclusion, athlete welfare involves ensuring the athlete's wellbeing as well as the creation of
a safe environment where athletes can compete and train for their game. Following the prevalent
challenges facing athletes and ex-athletes, such initiatives cub the dominant factors. Having a
support network is crucial and vital to both sets of athletes. Such networks work to guide and
provide a reassuring ear to any athlete, especially when they are going through hard times. These
systems are made up of managers, coaches, and other high profile athletes who act as counselors
to them. An athlete's welfare is not only when things are not working but also should be
proactive. This means that such platforms can be used to improve sports and general life skills
generally. It is critically important for athletes to be continually given advice even as they
continue with their careers so that they are also able to cope with life after their jobs are gone.
Whatever athletes and ex-athletes are battling with can be dealt with ultimately.
11 Higgs, Robert J. Laurel, and Thorn: 2015. The Athlete in American Literature.
University Press of Kentucky,

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Works Cited
Bentkowska, Magdalena. 2019. "Pro-health Behaviours in Time Budget of Ex-cyclists." Central
European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine 25, no. 1 (.
Clowes, H., P. Lindsay, L. Fawcett, and Z. R. Knowles. 2015. Clowes, H., P. Lindsay, L.
Fawcett, and Z. R. Knowles. "Experiences of the pre and post-retirement period of
female elite artistic gymnasts: An exploratory study." Sport and Exercise Psychology
Review 11, no. 2 (2015).
Curran, Conor. 2015. "Post-playing careers of Irish-born footballers in England, 1945–2010."
Sport in Society 18, no. 10.
Gallicchio, G., A. Cooke, and C. Ring. 2017. "Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice
golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis.".

11
Higgs, Robert J. Laurel, and Thorn: 2015. The Athlete in American Literature. University Press
of Kentucky,
Hong, Hee Jung. ". 2018. Top athletes struggle to adjust away from the limelight–more should
be done for them." The Conversation.
Locher, Julianne, M., 2016. "Factors impacting the retirement experience of professional
football players." Ph.D. diss., Vanderbilt University,
Marsters, Caleb. 2017. "Young Pacific Male Athletes and Positive Mental Wellbeing." Ph.D.
diss., ResearchSpace@ Auckland.
McFarland, Michael S., 2016. Measuring the Effectiveness of NCAA Division II Student-Athlete
Alcohol Interventions: To Scare or to Educate. Northcentral University.
Wilkowich, McMillan. 2016. "The phenomenological analysis of psychospiritual transformation
in athletic retirement and everyday narcissism in former athletes." Ph.D. diss.,
Lethbridge, Alta.: The University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education.