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16 INSIDE FOOTBALL Wednesday May 29, 2013 INSIDE FEATURE by Dr Jodi Richardson Do you suffer from: Muscular aches & pains? Pain and inflammation of arthritis? Minor sporting injuries? Non-oily and can be strapped over Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional. Available from Health Food Stores and Pharmacies. NATURAL HERBAL MEDICINE TO TARGET MUSCLE PAIN, BRUISING & MINOR INJURIES. Temporary topical pain relief for minor sporting injuries. Shoulder, Neck, Back, Knee or Arthritic Pain joint & muScle pain relief. Zen Herbal Liniment & Gel For the temporary relief of: www.martinandpleasance.com JOINT & MUSCLE PAIN RELIEF CHC43030-05/13 xx W ITHIN each AFL club is a group of qualified and experienced professionals able to meet the physical needs of every player. Clubs have staff in strength training, fitness and conditioning, myotherapy, massage, physiotherapy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, rehabilitation, injury prevention, sports science, tackling and boxing. There are high performance managers, doctors and trainers. Carlton even has a cycling coach. But not all clubs have a psychologist. General player wellbeing is monitored in most clubs using sophisticated computer software that takes into account a range of physical variables as well as sleep, stress and energy levels. But when it comes to managing their mental health, players need to take charge. Thankfully, they are not alone. I’ll get to that shortly. On the face of it, an AFL player’s lifestyle seems glamorous, but the pressure associated with the job is huge. Mind your MIND The “workplace pressure” for a footballer extends way beyond their time on the job; it infiltrates almost every aspect of their lives, and while much of the interaction for a footballer is positive, they are under great pressure to perform. The pressure comes from themselves, their club and fans, and media. Imagine having a bad day at work and then being torn to shreds for it on any one of half a dozen television shows and radio programs over the next week; not to mention a tirade of comments on Twitter, Facebook and online forums. Then picture having to front up to work and get on with it, working hard to ensure a stellar job done next time. That’s a challenge for the most resilient person. Tiger Dan Jackson recently said that he believed the next big issue in the AFL would be the mental health and wellbeing of players. Is it likely that mental health will be talked about in AFL circles in the same way we talk about hamstring injuries? Possibly not, but there is a concerted effort to raise awareness and understanding. A program run by the AFLPA fills a crucial gap in the development of elite footballers. Jackson: Mental health is the next big issue in the game.

Mind Your Mind - AFL rookie mental health

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Consider this: within each club there is a group of highly qualified and experienced professionals ready and able to meet the physical needs of every player. Some clubs have all or a combination of staff in roles including strength training, fitness and conditioning, myotherapy, massage, physiotherapy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, rehabilitation, injury prevention, sports science, tackling and boxing. There are of course high performance managers, doctors and trainers as well as coaching staff. Carlton players even have a cycling coach. But not all clubs have a psychologist.

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Page 1: Mind Your Mind - AFL rookie mental health

16 INSIDE FOOTBALL Wednesday May 29, 2013

INSIDE FEATURE by Dr Jodi RichardsonDo you suffer from:• Muscular aches & pains?• Pain and inflammation of arthritis?• Minor sporting injuries?

• Non-oily and can be strapped over

Always read the label. Use only as directed.If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional.

Available from Health Food Stores and Pharmacies.

NATURAL HERBAL MEDICINE TO TARGETMUSCLE PAIN, BRUISING & MINOR INJURIES.

Temporary topical pain relief for minor sporting injuries.

• Shoulder, Neck, Back, Knee or Arthritic Pain

joint & muScle

pain relief.

Zen Herbal Liniment & Gel

For the temporary relief of:

www.martinandpleasance.com

JOINT & MUSCLE PAIN RELIEF C

HC

4303

0-05

/13

Zen - Inside Football HPV Ad.indd 1 17/05/13 1:50 PM

xx

WITHIN each AFL club is a group of qualified and experienced

professionals able to meet the physical needs of every player.

Clubs have staff in strength training, fitness and conditioning, myotherapy, massage, physiotherapy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, rehabilitation, injury prevention, sports science, tackling and boxing. There are high performance managers, doctors and trainers. Carlton even has a cycling coach.

But not all clubs have a psychologist.

General player wellbeing is monitored in most clubs using sophisticated computer software that takes into account a range of physical variables as well as sleep, stress and energy levels.

But when it comes to managing their mental health, players need to take charge. Thankfully, they are not alone. I’ll get to that shortly.

On the face of it, an AFL player’s lifestyle seems glamorous, but the pressure associated with the job is huge.

Mind your

MIND

The “workplace pressure” for a footballer extends way beyond their time on the job; it infiltrates almost every aspect of their lives, and while much of the interaction for a footballer is positive, they are under great pressure to perform.

The pressure comes from themselves, their club and fans, and media.

Imagine having a bad day at work and then being torn to shreds for it on any one of half a dozen television shows and radio programs over the next week; not to mention a tirade of comments on Twitter,

Facebook and online forums. Then picture having to front

up to work and get on with it, working hard to ensure a stellar job done next time. That’s a challenge for the most resilient person.

Tiger Dan Jackson recently said that he believed the next big issue in the AFL would be the mental health and wellbeing of players.

Is it likely that mental health will be talked about in AFL circles in the same way we talk about hamstring injuries?

Possibly not, but there is a concerted effort to raise awareness and understanding.

A program run by the AFLPA fills a crucial gap in the development of elite footballers.

Jackson: Mental health is the next big issue in the game.

Page 2: Mind Your Mind - AFL rookie mental health

INSIDE FOOTBALL Wednesday May 29, 2013 17

Former AFL players Nathan Thomson, Heath Black, Simon Hogan, Barry Hall and Lance Picioane, among others, have shared their experiences of depression and anxiety in the hope of helping others to better understand mental illness, and to know that football players are not immune.

Footballers are part of a community where mental illness is commonplace. In fact, one in four Australians suffer from mental illness so we’re looking at potentially 200 AFL players enduring challenges with their mental health in any given year.

The highest prevalence of mental illness is in the 18-24 age group. Of course, players nominating for the AFL Draft are between 18 and 23, putting them smack bang in the age bracket where the risk of mental illness is highest.

Combine that with the stress of performance pressure at the Draft Combine, the anxious wait for the draft, the stress of settling in to an elite team and potentially doing it in a state far from home; it’s not hard to see why players could benefit from some help.

Fremantle rookie Jack Hannath was at a Melbourne training camp in Darwin

when told that he had been taken by Fremantle in the pre-season draft. This meant flying from Darwin to Melbourne to collect his things, to Adelaide to say goodbye to family and friends, then on to Fremantle to begin his AFL career.

That’s a lot of change in a short period of time.

Hannath explains that along with the elation of selection came the inevitable concern about what came next.

“Everyone thinks when you are drafted you are going to play AFL straight away,” Hannath said.

“It’s natural that when you get drafted friends and family are excited for you but it does create some external pressure as everyone is really interested in your new ‘job’.”

External interest and pressure is only part of the picture.

“Being in an AFL club is a new environment so you’re taken out of your comfort zone; it’s a full-time commitment and is more intense than other footy clubs you’ve been involved in,” Hannath said.

“You really want to make a good impression and put a bit of pressure on yourself.

“We also get critiqued on our performance and there is a lot that goes on during the week that people don’t get to see if they are not heavily involved in a club.

“There is a lot of follow-up after games, training, meetings and reviews which bring different pressures.”

With the understanding that there are unique challenges for rookies beginning their careers, Dr Jo Mitchell and her team at the AFLPA have developed a rookie wellbeing program called Manage Your Mind. Dr Mitchell is a clinical psychologist and is the Wellbeing Manager at the AFLPA. The program is designed to develop skills to manage stress, build resilience and improve mental wellbeing.

Three sessions are delivered to all first-year players and are cleverly designed to engage players in a way that personalises the program.

Session one is all about values. This session steps players through sorting around 40 different values into a top five ranked in order. Players then rate how satisfied they are with their life in relation to these values.

They are then asked about daily behaviours that reflect their core values, and those that do not. Dr Mitchell explains why the program starts with this step. “The research tells us that people who know what they stand for, and then act in ways that reflect this, have greater wellbeing and resilience.

“This is why it is essential to clarify your values and learn how to live them, doing things on a daily basis that bring you closer to, rather than further away from, what is most important to you.

“For example, if you are living away from home, which most rookies are, and love and connection to family and friends is a core value, then make sure you take time to call home and chat.”

‘When a strong emotion like fear, anger or jealousy – turns up in our body we often struggle with it.’

This is the part of the program that resonated most with Hannath.

“In the full-time environment of AFL, the footy is so full-on and initially values are not something you pay much attention to,” Hannath said.

“When I undertook the program, it really got me thinking and when we had to preference our values, at the top of my list were relationships with my friends and family.

“It was a very beneficial exercise because with footy being full time and Adelaide being 1½ hours ahead of WA, you can lose contact sometimes.

“It really made me think, it’s something I value highly but hadn’t given enough attention to. Trips back home are really limited so now I make the most of opportunities I have to get in touch and keep that link.”

Session two teaches the rookie players to recognise “stories”. Players are encouraged to think about common stories that all humans experience, such as “I am not good enough” or “will I get selected this week?”

“The brain is an amazing storytelling machine, it produces thoughts, stories, commentary and judgements 24/7, a bit like a television or radio station,” Dr Mitchell said.

“While this storytelling can be functional – it helps us to learn, plan, prepare – it can also get in our way.

“Ever found yourself worrying about something that didn’t happen? Or reliving an embarrassing past event?

“The storytelling mind can create unnecessary stress that can get in the way of performance and wellbeing. The players are invited to notice what their stories may be and learn ways to unhook from them, or turn the mental chatter down when it is not serving any useful purpose.

“The talk in our heads is like non-stop radio. It’s like having the Masterchef panel in our heads – critiquing and judging our performance.”

In the third session the players are taught about emotions; noticing them, recognising what they are and then “surfing” them.

“Players are often experts at managing physical pain – they get daily exposure to physical pain, how to interpret it, when to push through it and when to hold back,” Dr Mitchell said.

“When it comes to emotional pain, like most humans, they have had little training in how to interpret it and respond effectively.

“There is also an acceptance that physical pain is part of the cost of achieving their valued goals. When a strong emotion – like fear, anger or jealousy – turns up in our body we often try to avoid it or mentally struggle with it.

“In this session the players are asked to consider the role of emotions, how they can derail us from our values and how to listen to them better and surf, rather than struggle, with them.”

Manage Your Mind is one of three AFL evidence-based wellbeing programs. The others are Practical Mindfulness for players in their second yeara and beyond and Team Wise for player leaders and key influencers.

Players engaging in these programs develop life-long skills.

“It helps you to reflect on other aspects of your life that are really important to keep balanced,” Hannath said.

“In a way it can be detrimental to your football if that’s all you are focused on and you don’t have outside releases or know how to manage yourself outside of a football environment.

“Managing your wellbeing is good to give you perspective because you might be blurred at times with the excitement of being inside the AFL environment.”

❚ Need help or know someone who does? The Manage Your Mind program is based on a framework called Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and tailored to the high performance environment of AFL. If you want to read more about ACT, read The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris, or download this article: www.actmindfully.com.au/upimages/Dr_Russ_Harris_-_A_Non-technical_Overview_of_ACT.

Hannath: Joining the AFL immediately takes rookies “out of their comfort zone”.

Into the spotlight: The top 10 draft picks of 2012.

Jackson: Mental health is the next big issue in the game.

Media glare: The footy field can be a depressing place.