Focus on athletes’ mental health in the region must improve – Dr Olivia Rose

BRITISH VIRGIN Islands (BVI) Recreational Trust, Eustace Freeman, and sports psychologist, Dr Olivia Rose, hope that the seeds can be planted for the English-speakingCaribbean to expand its focus on mental health for athletes in a bid to provide another advantage for the region.

Freeman’s comments come as part of a sports convention held in the BVI on November 12, which included a mental health workshop for coaches.

Dr Rose spoke on the importance of sports psychological services.

Freeman said the importance of the mental aspect of sports was not grasped in the region and he has felt the need to help elevate the sporting landscape in the BVI through paying greater attention to it.

According to Freeman, Jamaica, given its history and success in sports would be a good partner not only to learn from, but to help the BVI get to a position where it competes well on the world stage consistently.

“An aspect that hasn’t been given as much attention, as it needs to, is the mental health of athletes and coaches. I think the rest of the Caribbean looks up to Jamaica as it pertains to sports and the great things that Jamaica has done with the sport. We looked towards Jamaica as one of the countries that are doing well,” Freeman told The Sunday Gleaner.

“And in this region we have to continue to strive to elevate our athletes, to elevate our teams, to be on the level to compete with these international bodies. So it was pretty easy to look at Jamaica as one of the places that we could find the necessary help that we need.”

The education received from the lecture, Freeman said, has sparked plans within their own sports federations to ensure that they have the adequate support they need.

“That fact that the mental health aspect is not subjected to the athletes but also affects the coaches, the coaches who are asked to guide these athletes along their journey jumped out to usand will definitely stick with us,” Freeman said.

“We know for sure we have to continue to make provisions to include sports psychologists and mental health practices to faster get our atheltes moving forward. That is something that we will be putting in place in the near future.”

REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP

Continued regional partnership on the issue, Rose says, is important not only in strengthening the region, but also in shedding the attitude of isolation when it comes to mental health.

“My mantra is to try as much as possible to sensitise the English-speaking Caribbean as much as possible to the importance of mental health and wellness in sports through the field of sports psychology,” Rose said.

“As a people who have had such an interestinghistorical past from colonialism, wanting to be always seen as strong and independent helps to bring the stigma of seeking psychological support and/or the utilisation of sports psychological cues in aiding the overall preparation of our athletes.”

While other countries in the Caribbean have made strides in this area, Rose hopes that the rest will follow suit in an area that she sees as essential.

“Spanish-speaking and other Caribbean islands are already advanced in this area but we are still warming up in 2022 to the importance of this integral type of preparation for our atheltes who very much need it,” Rose said.

“It’s not some accessory or a luxury. It is a needed component for our athletes given the wide area of things and challenges that they have to face.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com