For athletes of all levels — high school, college, and professional — the pandemic has had a major impact on their day to day lives. Their training routines and game schedules have been disrupted, if not cancelled altogether, which makes being an elite athlete particularly difficult right now. Whether the sport they play is their livelihood or simply a key part of their identity, it is certainly not easy to be an athlete navigating the waters of COVID-19. Further, for the players that have received the go-ahead to play, they are grappling with a combination of issues, not limited to the fear of contracting a virus that has killed over 250,000 people in the United States alone and having to isolate from their friends and family for an entire season of play.
Unfortunately, there is no simple solution, which is why the top priority for everyone involved should be the mental health of the athletes. For the sake of fans, organizations, coaches, and of course, the players themselves, fostering positive mental health should be top of mind.
Peter Nyberg is the chief financial officer of Camino Community Center, a non-profit organization that positively impacts the lives of thousands of low-income, underserved individuals in the community, primarily Latino immigrants. Nyberg is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and having spent many years working for a non-profit helping underserved individuals, he knows firsthand how important mental health services are. He discusses a few key ways to help athletes maintain positive mental health while continuing to play during the pandemic.
Show Them That They Are Not Alone
First and foremost, Peter Nyberg believes it is important to speak to athletes about the fact that they are not alone in the way they’re feeling. Talking about mental health should always be the norm, but especially so during the pandemic. Not only are mental health issues among the general population on the rise, but especially so among athletes whose livelihoods depend on being able to play a sport. A poll of over 37,000 students conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the early weeks of the pandemic found that stress and depression were major concerns due to a variety of factors, including fear of exposure to COVID-19 and the inability to keep up their athletic training given the new pandemic protocols. While this may not be a solution to the problem, acknowledging that athletes across the country are facing mental health challenges, many of which have worsened over the course of the pandemic, will help those who are struggling feel less alone.
Accepting the New Normal
One way that coaches and staff members of sports teams can help their athletes is by preparing them for the “new normal.” With COVID-19 still not under control, it could be several more months if not years before things are completely back to normal. This is especially true for the sports realm where live, large-scale events are likely to be the last restriction eased. In the meantime, helping athletes adapt to this new reality is critical, as developing a sense of normalcy has been known to improve mental health.
Peter Nyberg, CFO of Camino Community Center, shares that getting athletes into a routine at home is one way that coaches and staff can foster positive mental health during the pandemic. For example, coaches should be coming up with individual training programs and schedules for each player that they can do at home. If a player doesn’t have certain equipment at home, the coach must take that into account when creating their training program or be prepared to provide that athlete with the necessary equipment.
Further, holding virtual team meetings regularly to communicate any relevant news as well as to check in with everyone and give players a chance to socialize is also important. Again, if one of your players does not have adequate internet access, the team should take it upon themselves to try and find a solution to this problem. Ultimately, helping athletes develop a routine and a sense of normalcy within the uncertainty of the pandemic is one way that teams can help their athletes maintain positive mental health while continuing to play during the pandemic. In addition, making it clear that as a team, you are all in it together is critical, as it will help athletes feel more supported and less isolated during this trying time.
Peter Nyberg Offering Telehealth Services
Another important way that athletes can maintain positive mental health while playing during a pandemic is through telehealth services, shares Peter Nyberg. A study conducted by the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton found that many student athletes at the university who had previously been receiving counselling, no longer were since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Again, nobody thought that when the pandemic started it would last this long and so the result has been that many counselling services, especially those at universities, are no longer being offered. This is hugely detrimental to the mental health of all students, but especially athletes who are playing sports amidst the pandemic.
Luckily, a solution that Peter Nyberg hopes becomes more widespread does exist and that solution is in telehealth services. Provided athletes have the necessary technology to make telehealth a viable option, virtual sessions with sports psychologists have been helping when it comes to the mental health of athletes. For athletes playing during a pandemic, there are a whole host of issues that they might wish to address with a counsellor, from the fear of contracting the virus to the strain that not being able to see their family and loved ones is putting on them.
In addition to simple Zoom or Skype meetings, some psychologists and counsellors are taking things a step further, providing their athletes with videos, worksheets, and even games that help them cope with mental health issues. Telehealth services provide a valuable way of avoiding the safety risks of in-person sessions during the pandemic. In addition, having sessions conducted virtually may take some of the pressure off of athletes who previously hadn’t sought out a counsellor because they were nervous or anxious about the in-person interaction. Overall, Peter Nyberg believes that telehealth services, such as virtual therapy sessions, are an innovative way that can help athletes maintain positive mental health throughout the pandemic.
