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Mental Health & Wellbeing

New RUOK? Sport Guide

The mental Health and wellbeing of our family, friends and the football community has never been more important than it is right now. To help us look out for one another and to create an environment that encourages meaningful conversations, both on and off the field, RUOK have produced the new resource called the RUOK? Guide for Sport Coaches.   The Guide and RUOK? Coach Toolkit are excellent resources for anyone working in sport. 

The Guide teaches coaches and sport officials how to deal with a person’s emotions such as sadness, anxiety and anger, and how to respond appropriately to support the athlete or another person.

Links to the RUOK? Resources

COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing
Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak is vital. Football NSW encourages everyone to reach out to their fellow members of the football community to make sure they are doing alright.
Now more than ever we need to keep moving and stay connected – to our clubs, to our coaches, to our family and to our friends. Here are some tips and resources to support your Mental Health & Wellbeing during COVID-19.

Go Outdoors
Evidence shows that spending just 10 minutes outside a day, especially in the morning, can be greatly beneficial. It will top up your vitamin D, kickstart your natural energy system and boost your mood.

Get On The Move
Keep your body moving! Ensuring you are getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day will not only ensure you keep up your fitness but will boost those natural endorphins, improving your mood. Remember – run, walk, swim or dance, it does not matter how you do it, as long as you move.

Stay Connected
Keep in contact with your family, friends and community. Whether they are daily texts, FaceTime, Zoom meetings or following your football community’s Facebook page – stay connected. Let them know how you are feeling and what you are spending your time doing. Online team challenges are great for keeping your team accountable – your team still needs you!

Maintain A Routine
Many players may have the feeling of a loss of identity by not being able to see their team mates regularly or attend training or school etc. Maintaining a normal daily routine, even during isolation, is so important for supporting mental health. Continue to wake up early, make breakfast, head outdoors, move your body, then attend to some tasks. This will make the transition back into a normal routine, post COVID-19, much easier and allow you to get back into your normal rhythm sooner.

Learn A New Skill
Any downtime is a great time to learn that skill you have been wanting to focus on! Open up YouTube, take an online training session or simply get out in your backyard with your football and get practising. Having something to focus on each day will reduce worry and stress and give you a feeling of accomplishment. Do not forget to celebrate your successes!

Continue To Practice Self Care
Now more than ever it is important for players to be looking after their body. Eat well, move often, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep! It may feel like we are on holiday and a great time to relax a little on your diet and routines but like anything it is all about balance. Looking after our physical health will also support our mental wellbeing and allow us to get back playing quicker.

Resources
Club Programs
Help is here

There are many resources available to support our players and football community during difficult times, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help or visit some of the websites below.  Covid-19 has created a strange and confusing time for many people and it is okay to be feeling a little out of sorts.

There are many people in the organisations below who understand what it is like to not be feeling like yourself anymore or not coping with things, these people can help you start to understand why you might be feeling the way you are and may help you find ways that work for you to start feeling better.  If you would prefer to speak to someone who already knows you, consider going to see (or ask your parents to take you to see) your family Doctor as they can listen to your concerns and offer advice or even give you a referral to see a counsellor or another professional who can assist you.  Ask your family Doctor about seeing a counsellor under a Medicare treatment plan.

Below is a list of resources you can use to assist you, a fellow teammate, a club, an association and anyone else in this tough period:

Youth Support

Covid-19 and General Mental Health and Wellbeing Contacts & Websites

FOOTBALL NSW ASSOCIATIONS