Why mental health is a big issue for sportspersons

Earlier this month, tennis sensation Naomi Osaka caused a stir when she withdrew mid-way from the French Open due to what she termed as 'bouts of depression.'

Earlier, the Japanese superstar — who has four Grand Slam singles titles to her name — had said she would not be conducting mandatory interviews with the media because of what she described as journalists' tendency to "kick a player when he or she is down." 

For the storm she stirred at Roland Garros, Osaka was fined $15,000 by the tournament organisers albeit this was not enough to deter her from exiting the competition before she could be expelled as earlier warned. 

Osaka's actions have shone the spotlight on the mental health of sportspersons in and out of competition in addition to the debate on whether her state of mind was worth contravening tournament regulations as far as media duties are concerned. 

Whereas her supporters argue that player welfare is paramount above all else, other quarters advance that she was already aware of what was required of her when entering the French Open and that pressure from all corners is part and parcel of being a professional athlete. 

Closer home, sportspersons can only relate to  the tribulations of the 23-year old and admit that mental challenges afflicting athletes are more than just concerned with intrusive interrogation by journalists. 

Mental health experiences

"Football is played with the head, your feet are just the tools;" these words of former Italian midfield marshal Andrea Pirlo encapsulate just how important an athlete should be in the right state of mind to perform at the highest level. 

This point of view is shared by several sportspersons in Kenya who believe that an athlete cannot perform well when they are struggling with mental health issues. 

Kenya Hockey Union men's league side Butali Warriors striker George Mutira points out that a player who is not mentally prepared has already lost the game even before stepping on the pitch or on the track. 

"For you to achieve, you have to mentally right not only in sports but everything. We usually say you win the match before it is even played. This actually shows that if you are not in the right state of mind, you are not even ready to play. Your mind is your greatest asset when you are competing at that high level," Mutira says. 

These sentiments resonate with female super biker Harmony Wanjiku who adds that there is a direct link between a disturbed mind and underperformance in competitions. 

"If you are not in the right mental state, you will definitely underperform because your mind is fixated on other distractions. You have to be focused on the task at hand if you want to succeed in the sport," Wanjiku explains. 

Having competed at the highest level in their respective disciplines, both admit that no two days are always the same; one day your confidence is at an all-time high before it plummets the next day. 

Huge burden of expectations and the accompanying pressure to meet the desires of fans, teammates and coaches are some of the sources of psychological tribulations afflicting athletes in the course of their art and craft. 

Wanjiku says athletes are also humans who may be dealing with other non-sports issues, which seep into their professional lives and prevent them from performing optimally. 

"Of course, there are moments you feel weighed down or bogged by expectations . Sometimes an athlete is dealing with issues at home or at work and such issues distract them from the task at hand because that is where their mind is focused," she says. 

enya Hockey Union women's league side Wolverine's midfield lynchpin Pauline Ochieng' knows too well the psychological challenges associated with the weight of expectations from different quarters. 

Having won the best player award in the second-tier league, the former University of Nairobi star player found the going tough when she transitioned to her new club early last year. 

She admits the pressure to perform in the KHU league was explicit as she strove to prove that her exploits in the lower tier was not a fluke but the norm. 

"Everyone was eager to see if I could replicate the form that I had shown while playing at UoN. There were burdens of expectations from the fans, coach and the teammates. Actually, Covid-19 was a blessing in disguise because it has allowed me the time to gel with my new teammates and develop a better understanding," Ochieng says. 

Recovery after injury 

One of the most mentally challenging times for a sportsperson is after incurring an injury and returning to action after recovery. 

Mutira recalls the tussle he experienced in his mind when he returned from a wrist injury, which had kept him sidelined for three months. 

He had been recalled to the national team for an international assignment in Egypt and prior to the tournament, he admits he kept asking himself whether he was really ready to return to action or not.

"I was just coming back from an injury and straight into the national team. I had to get myself physically ready but the biggest challenge for me was my mind. I kept asking myself if I was ready to get back to action after three months out without any sporting activity," he recounts. 

While on the pitch, Mutira also explains that it takes a while for an athlete to exert the same attitude that he or she had before an injury; it is never the same when going into tackles or fighting for possession. 

"In my case, I had just been operated on my wrist. For a hockey player, the wrist is the main point of contact and a prior injury affects the way you approach tackles or go for the ball. It is only after returning from the international assignment that my confidence picked up once more," he says. 

Wanjiku, who has suffered four accidents on the race track thus far — two of them serious — also admits that mental preparation is often the hardest part for an athlete returning from injury. 

"You wonder whether you will suffer another injury in the same place or elsewhere. There is also the worry whether you will be able to perform at the same level post-injury because you may have gained some weight during the time you were out of action," she explains. 

Social media abuse

To sportspersons, social media platforms have become a double-edged sword, which enables them to connect to their fans and potential corporate sponsors while also exposing them to vitriol from certain people. 

Ochieng' admits she has faced her fair share of ridicule from not only social media but also some people she encounters in the course of her playing career. 

Some make snide remarks about her abilities in their vain attempt to pull her down and discourage her from pursuing her career. 

"It is normal to receive such negative comments or inappropriate ones from some of my social media followers. It is part of what entails being a public figure; not everyone will like you. Personally, I have a stoic mind and I choose to do my talking on the pitch rather than engage in a back-and-forth with such characters," she says. 

Kanyali Ilako, a sports psychologist — who is also in charge of Team Kenya's mental preparations for the Tokyo Olympics — says athletes facing social media abuse can deal with it in several ways. 

"Mental health is everything; you need a strong mind to be able to achieve. Sports is actually 80-90 per cent the mind and 20 per cent physical. When it comes to social media abuse, you don't have to participate; you can remove yourself from social media or block such people. At the end of the day, it is your life and you have to take charge of it. If something is affecting you, then you don't have to associate with it," Ilako says. 

Coping strategies 

Apart from turning a deaf ear to online abuses, Ilako also advises that athletes need to embrace the fact that they are humans with strengths and weaknesses. 

"First, you need to identify things that you can control and those that you can't. Focus your energies on those that you can control and work around them. If you spend time on the uncontrollable ones, you will only end up in more distress," she says. 

Having been a professional swimmer who represented the country in various assignments, Ilako cites a strong social support system and self-belief as the two factors that kept her going despite turbulence at certain points in her career. 

"A sports environment is a very tough one; the training programme, waking up early in the morning and constant work to improve yourself. It can get very tough and there were moments when I felt I should just quit and focus on something else. But what worked for me is that I would remember how far I'd come and be encouraged by this. Also, those around me, especially my mum, encouraged me to keep going," she recalls. 

Similarly, Mutira reveals that embracing the reality of who he is has worked for him to cope with the demands of the game. 

As he grows older, he admits he is a better player determined to enjoy the game rather than bog himself down with heavy expectations. 

"I think as I grow older, I have developed my mental muscles. When I used to be younger, I used to feel a lot of pressure to score. I have developed this mentality where I just enjoy the game. You also need a strong support system of not only family but also your teammates and coaches. Above all, I always put God first because spiritual maturity is very important,"  Mutira says.

For Wanjiku, getting enough sleep, a healthy diet and some 'alone time' are the keys to enhancing an athlete's mental health. 

"You need to motivate yourself despite the challenges and believe that you will overcome. Find a hobby, engage in regular workout and maintain a good diet. Sports in itself is a good stress reliever so just enjoy yourself. Cry if need be but do not dwell on it for long rather maintain a positive attitude," she advises. 

In the words of these aforementioned athletes, "to err is to human" and sportspersons are no exception.

As fans and journalists, it would only be fair to cut them some slack when we see them struggling to put in good performances on the track or pitch.