MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES & PERFORMANCE WORRIES ... PROJECT RESTART IS DANGEROUS AND FLAWED
A TOP sports psychologist has warned that Project Restart will end up as Premier League-lite.
Mark Bowden believes the pandemic will highlight the failure of most clubs to address cognitive issues that prevent footballers from attaining their full potential.
Bowden (right) is a mental performance consultant with a significant number of topflight and Championship players on his client list.
Premier League bosses will meet with clubs tomorrow to press ahead with efforts to resume the season – and close a £1.3billion black hole caused by the Covid-19 virus.
But Bowden insists the plan is flawed because it does not take into account the negative mental impact that the pandemic will have on players.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab last week suggested that the return of football would lift the mood of the nation.
But Bowden said: “The Premier League will be diluted beyond all recognition. I understand the desire to get the game restarted, from both a financial perspective and from the point of view that could give the country a lift.
“But we need to be careful what we wish for. There seems to be this worrying train of thought that, because many footballers earn fabulous amounts of money, they should just accept the risks and get on with it.
“But that’s like saying a soldier should just march off to war because they signed up for the military. That’s a dangerous game to play.”
Manchester City striker Aguero was the first to voice concerns that players feel they are being forced back to play too soon.
Bowden said: “I hear the same fears Aguero mentioned being aired by players I work with. It isn’t the majority of them, by any means, but it is a significant number.
“It tends to be that younger players, who don’t have wives, partners, children, can’t wait to get back playing again. Older players, who do have
that Sergio Aguero was RIGHT to reveal players are scared about becoming infected when they return to action.
will Playing games behind closed doors have a detrimental effect on performance.
Locking squads in quarantine will impact on the mental health of players.
duty to ■■Clubs are already failing in their help players prepare themselves mentally to hit peak levels of performance. family responsibilities, are worried about putting loved ones at risk. These are rational fears. The coronavirus can make you ill, even kill you.
“Not only do these fears have an impact on overall mental health – they also make it harder for players to perform at their best.
“That’s why the clubs and the Premier League have to be transparent with the players.
“They have to feel like they are human beings, not just highly paid assets that can be risked for the good of the game.”
Bowden added: “This is an unprecedented situation, so players will adapt. But the plan to play games behind closed doors will definitely have a negative impact on performances.
“Players perform at their best when they are being massively challenged. Stress isn’t a bad thing when a player is in a
good place mentally. Playing in front of 50,000 fans optimises performance rather than hinders it.
“It’s what helps Aguero score his goals or an athlete break a world record.”
One of the measures being lined up to keep players free from infection is to place all 20 Premier League squads in isolation in hotels, along with their coaching staff.
Bowden said: “A footballer is like any other human being in that they have in-built mechanisms that make them need the interaction and protection they feel from being with their families.
“There is no doubt that taking players away from their loved ones – such as wives, partners and children – will have a detrimental affect on their mental health and, therefore, their performance level.
“Football clubs just aren’t prepared for this. Yes, there have been huge leaps in sports science over the last 20 years, but that largely deals with preparing players physically rather than mentally.
“Clubs are also more proactive in looking after players who have actual mental health issues.
“But, when it comes to preparing footballers to improve their mental performance – actually helping them to make the right decisions on the pitch – they have hardly scratched the surface.” ■■https://www.markbowden.com/