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While many coaches understand the major responsibility of managing athlete mental health, some are unsure which steps to take in order to improve well-being while also enhancing team performance. At the team level, collective resilience can be developed through forming a shared team purpose, cultivating psychological safety, and promoting team efficacy (Michael, 2021). At the individual level, Keglelaers and Wylleman (2019) promote a coaching strategy that incorporates interpersonal skills, preventive strategies, and reactive strategies to develop resilience. Interpersonal skills refer to creating a positive coach-athlete relationship and taking an individualized approach to building resilience. Reactive strategies involve evaluating setbacks, promoting a positive mindset, and implementing lessons from failures. Preventive strategies include fostering motivation, increasing mental preparation, and promoting life balance.
While resiliency allows athletes to rebound from adversity, athletes are still at risk for mental health issues due to their increased load of responsibilities and pressure to succeed. Oftentimes, athletes are unable to “tough it out” on their own and are looking for support from their team leaders when it comes to mental health. Coaches should welcome and initiate these open conversations in the locker room and on the field. The following includes recommendations for coaches on how to reduce stigma and promote a healthy team environment:
Be genuine: Athletes are looking for genuine concern from their coaches when discussing mental health (Saxe et al., 2022). Do not have these conversations to “check a box”, as doing so will have a negative effect on self-help seeking behavior. Demonstrate true support and willingness to actively listen without judgment.
Display mental health literacy: Use sensitivity when discussing mental health topics, and read current research to understand how the current sports world may be affecting the team. Consider undergoing an online mental health literacy training to sharpen skills (Saxe et al., 2022).
Provide materials to increase athlete mental health literacy: Give athletes educational tools and programs to increase awareness of symptoms in themselves and their teammates (Gulliver, 2012).
Provide tangible support to athletes: Offer the necessary resources in a given situation to reduce athlete stress-burnout (Lu et al., 2016).
Develop collaborative relationships with mental health professionals: Invite sport performance or mental health professionals to speak with the team on a consistent basis (Saxe et al., 2022). Ensure that these professionals are visible to the athletes as often as possible, and not just at an introductory meeting at the beginning of the season.
Understand that positive mental health and performance go hand in hand: Research supports that improved mental well-being leads to an enhanced ability to deal with stress and has a positive effect on performance.
Redefine “mental toughness”: Foster open conversations about mental health and encourage the utilization of professional counseling services.
By fostering a team environment that proactively discusses mental health and destigmatizes counseling, coaches can promote self-help seeking behavior and overcome the “tough it out” mentality in their athletes.
