Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from multiple Olympic events to protect her mental health this year could be a landmark moment moving forward.
Biles wasn’t physically injured. In her own words, her mind and body weren’t in sync so she took the decision to protect herself. That decision was widely criticized and widely applauded.
While Biles is the biggest name and will remain at the centre of this story, she is only a reflection of her generation. As each new generation arrives in sports and society, there are changes in attitudes towards what constitutes right and wrong.
For sports, there are also changes in attitudes towards what is and isn’t acceptable for athletes. Biles would not have been able to do what she did 20 years ago, maybe not even 10 years ago. Mental health was stigmatized to the point that it was essentially not acknowledged as a real thing back then.
Biles being able to do this is a sign of the progress we’ve achieved in terms of psychology and our understanding of what is truly important.
More importantly, this isn’t really about Biles. It was followed by English cricketer Ben Stokes and fellow Olympian Adam Peaty making similar decisions, these individuals are just the start of the change that is coming for elite athletes.
These first examples are going to empower those who are struggling in silence across the world to choose to step back when they need to. Before that would be defined as quitting, but the reframing of the conversation means we can now be more empathetic and understanding of our athletes’ needs.
English professional football player Tyrone Mings didn’t take a break to protect his mental health, instead he spoke about his struggles retroactively during this year’s European Championships. Mings discussed how he relied on a psychologist to help him deal with the scrutiny that was coming from every angle:
“I did have a tough time in the lead-up to the opening game against Croatia.
I think I’m a lot more hardened to outside influences now, but my mental health did plummet. And I have no shame in admitting that because there was so many unknowns about me going to that game.
When 90-95 per cent of your country are having doubts over you, it’s very difficult to stop this intruding on your own thoughts.
So I did a lot of work on that with my psychologist. It was hard. I didn’t really sleep very well before that first game.”
For elite organizations and teams to best support their athletes, the role of the sports psychologist will need to increase. The need for more qualified psychologists in sports will increase with it.
Portobello Institute’s BSc (Hons) Sports Psychology, Coaching and PE degree offers graduates the opportunity to work with athletes and teams at the highest levels to enhance their performances and achieve their goals.
Some examples of the psychology modules on this course are:
- Foundations of Sports Psychology and Coaching
This module primarily introduces you to the principles of psychology and coaching. You will develop an understanding of the impact that psychological state has on both performance and participation as well as the most effective way to develop a sound coaching/teaching knowledge base and pedagogy.
- Psychological Factors in Sporting Teams and Individuals
This module elaborates on the key theories in sport psychology.
- Sports Psychology and the Elite Athlete
This module explores contemporary theory in sport psychology and its relevance to the competitive sporting environment. Students gain a critical insight into the applied practice of sport psychology and gain experiences of some of the key interpersonal skills that make an effective sport psychologist.
Graduates from this degree will have the option to use this qualification as a route to study a Masters in Psychology.
Portobello Institute values the one in everyone and understands that education is only a part of your life. We don’t want to take up all of your time and create stress for you. You should go to college to improve your life outside of college and after college.
We are training the sports professionals of the future. If you would like to work in sport in a professional capacity, you can find a course that will provide you with the requisite education to do so.
Our sports courses are listed here.
To read more articles like this one, you can visit the Sports section of the Knowledge Zone.
If you would prefer to have a direct conversation with Johanna, you can contact her on 01-892-0024 or you can email her at jo.shaw@portobelloinstitute.com. Meetings with Johanna can be booked through this link.
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Johanna Shaw has a 2:1 in BSc (Hons) in Sports and Exercise Science from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. She completed an MPhil Studentship in Physical Activity for Health alongside an Exercise Development role. She then went onto a Tackling Inactivity in Students role funded by Sport England within a Further Education College in London before moving back to Dublin to Portobello Institute.
