For men and boys, engaging in sports is related to passionate competition and fighting for victory. This understanding of care leaves little room for self-care, health and safety, and emotional sensitivity — topics that carry risks for boys and men in a sports culture of hypermasculinity.
The National Hockey League Players Association recently released its report First line program to support players’ mental health. It signals that men’s hockey is finally recognizing the long-known incontrovertible fact that “a hockey player struggling with mental health issues would do so in silence.”
Flames head coach Ryan Huska recently said that talking openly about mental health is “it’s type of becoming the norm now that folks aren’t afraid to express it” Corey Hirsch, a retired goalkeeper, recently told CBC News that “the issue wasn’t the sport itself, the issue was that the stigma of getting to be a troublesome person“
Similarly in A recent podcast interview France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry spoke concerning the depression he suffered from throughout his profession:
“I’m a human being. I actually have feelings. I actually have had to suffer from depression throughout my profession and since birth. Did I understand it? No. Did I do something about it? Of course not, but I adapted.
We are due to this fact seeing an overdue shift towards normalizing men and male athletes searching for help and step by step speaking more openly and vulnerably about mental health.
Culture of silence
There are serious problems with the culture of masculinity in men’s sports – it signifies that men and boys have to adapt quite than seek help and fight hard quite than take a step back. This a culture of silence and intimidation signifies that men and boys are reluctant to speak up and speak out about safety and sexual assault. This has created an environment in which men and boys feel pressured to remain silent about their mental health.
In the identical podcast, Henry said:
“From a young age, whether at home or at work, you were told, ‘Don’t be that guy, don’t show that you just’re vulnerable.’ If they cry, what’s going to they think?
This is the culture that sports organizations grapple with when implementing initiatives just like the First Line Program.
We need to redefine what caring means in men’s sports. And there was progress. In addition to the NHLPA’s frontline program, Hockey Canada hosted in September 2023 Beyond Boards Summit. It was an attempt to address “toxic masculinity” while also trying to understand it.
(Michael Kehler)
Then in October 2023, Hockey Canada issued a regulation Changing room rules to “increase social inclusion and safety” and “minimize incidents of ill-treatment, abuse and harassment.”
While it is a sign of progress, there continues to be some reluctance to name issues corresponding to sexual assault and homophobia once they occur.
To mark World Mental Health Day 2023, Norwich City Football Club has launched #youarenotalone campaign prompting us all to check in on the people around us.
Initiatives like this address a type of caring masculinity that is important if men’s sport is to be the space of support and mental health that it may possibly be.
A fancy relationship
Sometimes modern ideas are born in times of crisis; we’re only now starting to understand the socio-cultural impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The complex relationship between sport and boys’ mental health became apparent as sports facilities were closed due to social distancing measures. negatively impacting their social, mental and emotional health.
One of the boys in our study described his struggles through the pandemic: “I just felt a little sad…I couldn’t climb.” In an analogous tone, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri spoke in October 2023 about how lots of his players – including young academy players – suffers from depression in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
But the disorder also forced boys to engage with their emotions. One of the boys told us: “I have become more in touch with myself and my emotions.” The same sentiment is shared by Henry, who said concerning the pandemic:
“Something like this had to occur for me to understand sensitivity, empathy and crying. Understand that anger and jealousy are normal… I cried day by day for no reason… it was weird, in a very good way.
What does this tell us about sport and mental health? First of all, sport in its traditional form doesn’t provide space for the vulnerability and mental health of men and boys.
Cultivating care in men’s sports
We can reimagine sport as inclusive, diverse and protected to realize its positive potential. However, this requires redefining what it means to care. This doesn’t mean dismissing the importance of sports competition, but quite recognizing and developing the potential for self-care and peer support in men’s sports.
IN our research with male athleteswe found that creating diverse sports spaces facilitated open and vulnerable conversations and promoted a culture of care and support that was vital to these athletes.
These attempts at inclusion and diversity haven’t been without their problems. The traditional culture of men’s sports has reared its head at times, leaving some men – especially queer men – feeling insecure excluded, marginalized and dangerous. Creating an area of emotional sensitivity and support, nevertheless, has shown what is feasible when the facility of sport is harnessed and reimagined in modern ways.
