Simply Smiles is an initiative of the Simply Sport Foundation that focuses on the mental well-being of athletes. It recognizes the importance of mental health in sports. Along with the guidance of sports psychologists, the program educates and encourages coaches to have open conversations about the mental pressures athletes face.

 

The first workshop was conducted keeping in mind the stigma surrounding mental health. Our aim is to create awareness and empower coaches to be the first point of contact for any athlete facing mental barriers during training or while participating in tournaments. 

 

The following are the themes covered in the workshop:

 

• What is mental health? Understanding of mental health and the various determinants of mental health. 

• Potential mental health issues prevalent among athletes

• A coach's role in recognizing early signs and intervening

• Symptoms of mental illness, diagnosis, interventions, and challenges

• Promote mental health for all athletes

• Learn how to deal with stigma and other misconceptions about mental illness

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Encoding Mental Health in Athletes: 

 

1) Athletes’ Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

2) It affects how they think, feel, and act.

3) It also helps determine how they handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. 

4) Apart from emotional, psychological, and social well-being, Athletes go through a lot of pressure which includes Family pressure, Financial pressure, performance pressure, and a lot of stress.

5) As athletes are the ones who are expected to perform the best this builds up a lot of pressure on them because of which the mental health of an Athlete is affected.