Everybody loves the bright side of professional sport, where athletes get their trophies, the majestic music fills the stadium while they are in unity with fans and march to the pedestal to claim their medals. But there’s always a struggle behind the scenes on a way to glory for both the winners and losers, where mental health is the biggest reward.
The head becomes the toughest opponent
Imagine being a professional athlete. You’ve trained for years, eaten more chicken breasts than an entire chicken farm can produce, and your muscles are so well defined that anatomy teachers use you as a reference. But then the day comes when you face the biggest competition of your life and suddenly your legs feel like spaghetti that’s been cooking a little too long.
Welcome to the bizarre world of performance pressure, where even the most hardy athletes can feel like jelly set to run a marathon. This behavior is hard to predict even for the seasoned bettors who use a reliable betway app download apk, available through the guide at the link.
The curse of perfectionism: Good enough is never good enough
There’s always a big risk in chasing perfection. Sinking enthusiasm, all the time and hopes in chasing the dream to understand that you’re “almost perfect” may drive you crazy and discourage you from further development.
For athletes, a silver medal in the Olympics never sounds like being second in the world. It means that they are not good enough and, for some, nothing but gold means their efforts were worthless – which, obviously, isn’t true.
Related: Paris 2024 Olympics: Nigeria 4x100m Relay Teams Fail To Qualify For Final
Identity crisis: You’re more than just your achievements
In many ways athletes feel that sport is what identities them, and there’s nothing more other than this label. “Manchester City player”, “the runner” – a human being behind this tag doesn’t have enough time after training to think about personal life, so they struggle in making new friends and understanding who they are.
When, for example, they escape the loop for some time due to the injury, it’s hard for them to see themselves doing simple chores, like a comic book hero losing a power and not knowing what to do in a world of mortals.
Support systems: The psychologist becomes the new personal trainer
Fortunately, the sports world is starting to realise that a strong mind is just as important as strong muscles. Sports psychologists have become the new secret ingredient in the recipe for success – think of them as mental personal trainers, helping to tone confidence and stretch the elasticity of mental endurance.
The difficult balance: The tightrope between ambition and madness
For athletes, it’s about finding the happy medium – being ambitious enough to reach for the stars, but not so obsessed with success that they end up burning out like a meteor. It’s like making the perfect portion of pasta: al dente, not overcooked.
Concluding thoughts: Victory lies in more than just medals
The case of Premier League team player Richarlison speaking up on his depression state and working with a psychologist tells a lot about the situation in the professional sport. The topic becomes less tabooed with time, athletic associations and football clubs are getting more and more open to the idea of creating mental treatment departments. But in many countries the sole idea of going to the therapist and talking about your problems still sounds strange, leaving a lot of athletes to experience their struggles on their own.
Mental health is inseparably linked with the physical one, and you need to care for both equally in order to succeed. So when you see the next Olympic gold medal winner or FIFA World Champion remember that they not only worked on their body a lot, but their mind too.
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