BFC puts the spotlight on mental health

Football club announces programme to help players and raise awareness

Last week, the Bengaluru Football Club (BFC) announced the launch of their programme, ‘Care around the corner’. The programme is an effort to provide players and staff at the club with on-call professional mental health help while increasing awareness on mental health in sports circles.

Mandar Tamhane, CEO of the club, says the lack of awareness around mental health in general has allowed it to be ignored within the ambit of sports in India. “These programmes are common in European football clubs because they address the kind of pressure that sports people and athletes go through. That level of competitiveness they deal with, can lead to depression, which in turns leads to them quitting and in some cases, suicide,” he says.

A lot of factors, he adds, makes it imperative to make avenues available for players, across sports. “Team interactions are limited to what’s happening on the ground. If someone performs badly someone will put your hand around their shoulder and that’s it,” explains Mandar. Certain stereotypes and expectations of sports players, such as having to be strong enough to not cry during a loss, and having to be masculine, ends up being extremely damaging to morale.

India and Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been vocal about his struggles with mental health and seeking the needed help. He says that being a sportsperson is a thankless job. “I have conceded so many goals at crucial times, especially earlier in my career. I have been booed and abused off the pitch by our fans. I would be unable to look at myself in the mirror for days. I have cried. But, no one sees that,” he says.

Apart from providing the players with a safe and non-judgemental space to air their struggles and concerns, the programme would help them understand themselves better and hence, become better players, he adds.

While the initiative was a long time coming, the pandemic too plays a significant role. The Indian Super League (ISL) tournament, is taking place in Covid-19 bubbles in one location.

“They will be playing this season in one city, holed out in a hotel room for six months. Even the lobby is out of bounds. A situation like this would be frustrating,” Mandar explains.

With mental health having been kept out of sports, it could be difficult to get the players on board.

“When people see one of their own has benefitted from it, they could become more receptive. The hope is that other sports teams will follow suit,” he adds.

Why sports psychology?

BFC has taken on a general psychologist who will help the team members cope both professional or personal struggles.

However, many teams, such as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), are starting to include a sports psychologist in specific. They say that it helps enhance the performance.

Dr Chaitanya Sridhar, sports psychologist with RCB says that while sports psychologist do look into personal well being, the focus is largely on the performance domain.

A sports psychologist would not only lend emotional support to the individual player, but also teach them techniques for enhancing performance, such as developing a positive mindset, being in the present, breathing techniques, handling pressure and goal setting, says M N Vishwanath, sports psychologist.

“The sports psychologist works as part of the team. The job is to aid the athlete and hence the team in working together. We deal with different personalities, and we have to understand what works for each player so that they can work as a unit,” says Chaitanya.

The fear of failure is very common among among sports players, which can lead to other mental and phsycial struggles.

“The life of a professional athlete is a roller coaster ride, with highs and lows, threatened by uncertainty and anxiety, facing lots of pressure and expectations from outside and within,” Vishwanath explains.

Tips to handle pressure

Dr Chaitanya Sridhar says that one of the biggest challenges athletes face on a daily basis is handling pressure, both internal and external. Here are a few tips she gives to be able to deal with pressure and other challenges that would arise on the ground:

1. It’s important to know when to cut off, go into a zen zone and bringing out their best performance, she says. Players have the tendency to be turned on all the time, which can be physically and mentally exhausting. Don’t allow your brain to be overstimulated, so when the game is over, move into a non-athlete zone.

2. Follow the process, without being robotic. Find out what works for you. You are an individual performing in a team and understand things work differently from athlete to athlete.

3. Having a network of mentors and role models, at a personal and professional level, is very crucial. When the chips are down you will need someone to hold that mirror and show what you have achieved and what you are capable of.

4. Everyone has ups and downs. Have an inner circle you can trust.

5. Do not add more pressure on yourself than there already is. Have your goals in place and work towards it. Challenge yourself on a daily basis and enjoy the competition.