A NEW, MINDFUL PATH TO ENCOURAGE US TO BE OPEN
WHEN Dave Tickle told his players that training was off, and instead they’d be discussing their feelings, he was unsure what the reaction would be.
“I sold it by saying they’d learn more than if we just played seven-a-side,” he recalled.
Appointed manager at St Helens side Pilkington last July, the 38-year-old was swift to sign up his squad for a mental fitness session when the opportunity presented itself.
His is one of more than a dozen clubs to have done so as part of a collaboration between the North West Counties League and State of Mind – a charity based in Warrington that raises awareness of mental fitness in sport and helps maintain emotional wellbeing.
The education sessions, delivered virtually during the pandemic, are adapted for young men and focus on delivering simple messages in an accessible and interactive way.
“It’s not easy being a semi-professional footballer,” said Dr Phil Cooper MBE, nurse consultant in mental health for the NHS and co-founder of State of Mind.
“They’re juggling competing pressures – whether that’s a job, family commitments, and any other curveballs life throws your way – and often play the game for the love of it.
“But they weren’t able to because of the pandemic, and that has consequences.
“Being part of a team that shares its ups and downs helps to manage mental health issues. In a dressing room, for example, there’s camaraderie.
“Blokes might take the mickey out of each other, but they’ll be supportive too.”
State of Mind’s presenters, all of them former professional athletes with experience of mental health issues, share their own personal stories – an impactful way of getting across what they want.
They also encourage their audience to look out for the signs that a teammate might be struggling.
“Listening to them made me stop and think,” said Matt Barnes, boss at Prestwich Heys.
Togetherness
“You hear a lot about the togetherness at semi-pro clubs like ours, where most of the lads are mates and that helps to bring them closer.”
For many Non-League players, the past year and a half has been a period of great uncertainty and mounting anxiety.
While attempting to plot a course through the pandemic, they have grappled with closed grounds and training facilities, postponed matches and ultimately, for those operating at Steps 3-6 of the National League System, a curtailed 2020-21 campaign.
Many are creatures of habit with strict routines and defined goals, and coronavirus has proved to be the arch disruptor.
Cooper said: “Routine is crucial. It’s huge.
“Guys that play football, or any sport, know that activity is essential to them managing their mental fitness.
“Their week is mapped out, and they move other commitments around so as not to miss out on that fix.
“Training on your own is no fun, and it doesn’t surprise me that lads haven’t adapted well when that was their only option during lockdown.
“That’s probably why we saw teams begin pre-season earlier than they usually would; it’s not to gain an advantage, but to form those old habits again.”
There was relief when the
Government announced that England would move to the final stage of a road map out of national lockdown.
Shortly afterwards, the FA updated its guidance to confirm that changing rooms could open again.
While clubs have been encouraged to act with caution, the new season started on time.
For those that had engaged with State of Mind, it has been a chance to put in practice what they have learned.
Tickle said: “It’s improved how we communicate with each other; I feel more relaxed about talking, or listening, to my players on a human level.
“That’s easier too when you get to know people’s character.
“It isn’t about changing them, but noticing when they’re not themselves. I’m trying to be aware of those signals.”
There is, of course, much work to do.
Young men remain notoriously hard to reach; 75 per cent of UK suicides are male – a statistic the North West Counties League is conscious of.
Stigma
“The league had been trying to link with a mental health charity for some time, but was struggling to get one that didn’t just want to fundraise,” said Paul Lawler, the competition’s chairman.
“We have had positive feedback from the clubs who have taken part in State of Mind’s mental fitness sessions, so much so that we’ve agreed to organise one for our own committee.”
Barnes has told peers they should arrange a session for their own team, and would schedule another for his players given the chance.
That may present itself, and The NLP can reveal that the league is in talks with the charity about further initiatives after agreeing to renew their partnership. The Prestwich manager added: “Stigma in football is real, and there is a fear about what might happen if lads open up. “In my view, that puts them off talking.
“There’s a distance to travel before it becomes a totally normal thing to do, but initiatives like this will help us to get to where we need to.”
State of Mind has been the North West Counties League’s official charity partner since July 2019.
To find out more about its work, visit stateofmindsport. org