AM8 International

Mental health is no joke. It has become more and more frequent over the past few years as one of the most pressing topics to be discussed and no longer ignored and pushed to the side. With some of the world’s biggest names shedding light on their own personal mental health and what it means, it’s such an important topic to be shared with players and athletes, irrespective of their level of play, and for tools to be given on how best to deal with these challenges.

Mental health is just as important as our emotional health to physical health. See what I did? It’s a banner term synonymous with health and is merely ‘another’ to be catered towards. If we can look at changing our perceptions around the stigma — the connotations associated with mental health, we can push the greater health of our players/athletes forwards which also corresponds with the general wellbeing in their day to day lives.

Mental health conditions to the likes of depression to anxiety are largely invisible and are not readily identifiable. More often than not, someone who is experiencing depression and/or anxiety will often go unnoticed unless you know how to look for the signs, and even then, there’s a good chance you still won’t be able to be right of the mark. And that’s besides the point.

Being conscious that mental health is invisible is significant. This allows a greater conciseness around mental health to begin and that the primary instigator is to engage with players/athletes — to listen and to ask questions that genuinely care about their overall health and wellbeing. As a coach and/or parent, being open to listen and talk through these challenges is a primary superpower to open the dialogue to normalising these feelings to reactions and working with the player/athlete to manage these symptoms with better awareness and access around tools to coping mechanisms.

There’s never a one shoe fits all answer, but the more conversations that are had, the greater the acceptance will become around mental health and with that, reducing the stigma around these conversations and/or their respective topics.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 100+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today. 

Continuing along the lines of controversy, Talent Identification (ID) systems are in all sports and have the potential to lift players and athletes alike towards their sporting ambitions, whilst also derailing them if the conversation is not handled in a conducive manner — best to serve a player’s and/or athlete’s future ambitions. Whilst many parents are under the impression that these programs are what’s best for their child’s sporting future, there us a lot of misinformation out there around these systems to programs that are not all good news.

What remains pivotal is that the player/athlete remains informed and is afforded a decision opposed for the decision being made for them.

Too often then not players and/or athletes alike are pulled away from their current coaching environment into a new one without any fundamental adjustments being made. This poses quite a significant risk on the players/athletes development and being inside a Talent ID program is more often than not, not the right decision for the player/athlete as a whole.

This week’s episode looks into the concerns around Talent ID and steps in navigating this process. It remains internal to be mindful of the benefits of these programs but also the risks they also pose. Depending on your sport of choice, these are all slightly different. But, if there’s one thing we know for sure and what the data reaffirms over and over again, is the coach-athlete relationship and its stability. Entering into a new program with a new coach and for this dynamic to constantly be on a rotation, is not what serves the player/athlete for long-term driven ambitions. Choose wisely and remember the triangular dynamic that will keep the team strong and better informed.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 100+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.