We as coaches rightly or wrongly naturally place everyone before ourselves and have our players at the centre of everything we do. We are too quick to forgot about the importance of looking after our own well-being and mental health. This article is very much from my own views and experiences that I have experienced myself and seen in coaches that I have worked with.
For the majority of us who work within football and coaching at grassroots or academy level work at a part time basis alongside full time or other part time role/s. I have always believed working in football both in volunteering and paid roles, football never sleeps and requires you go above and beyond. Both in the matter of roles, responsibilities and hours.
From my own experiences, I have and had roles which has required me to be a multitude of roles: coach, manager, GK coach, first aider, match official, photographer, welfare, someone giving advice, listening to individuals. I feel that my journey and coaching has at times taken me away from football to roles that have created a greater experience and environment for the players I have and am working with. I believe the days of the role of a football coach being solely a football coach have gone and has created a unique multidisciplinary role.
As a result of this shift in demands and requirements of a modern day part time grassroots and academy coaches, I am of the opinion that the well-being and mental health of coaches has become frequently overlooked and ignored because ‘we want to put everything into our players’ but I ask who is going to look after us as coaches? Who’s going to look after the players if we are burnout? World Health Organisation (WHO) (2004) define well-being as ‘ A state of Well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.’ The centres for disease control and prevention (CDC) (2018) stated nine aspects of well-being with four aspects which can be directly associated to sport: physical well-being, social well-being, emotional well-being and psychological well-being.
Research into Stress, burnout within Coaches
Research conducted into coaches stresss and burnout has found that full time coaches often find themselves feeling a sense of entrapped within the job role with no option for other sources of income (Olusoga,Butt,Hays and Maynard, 2009). Additionally research by Hjälm, Kenttä, Hassmén, and Gustafsson (2007) found that part time coaching jobs demands suggests that part time coaches have a higher burnout value over full time coaches as a result of additional workload of additional job/s. These stresses can have negative responses which are categories into emotional, physical and behavioural (Thelwell et al 2010) which all can lead to ill-being. When coaches experience negative responses to stress, player will notice and recognise the indicators of the coaches negative response through changes in: Verbal communication, physical appearance, coaching style and interaction with players and other coaches ( Thelwell et al 2010). Schaufeli and Enzmann (1998) Categorise burnout as ‘a state of mental and physical exhaustion, which is maintained by accompanied maladaptive motivational processes and the generation of dysfunctional attitudes and behaviours toward the job. Burnout has been developed into 3 characteristics: emotional exhaustion. Depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. Schaufeli and Enzmann (1998) further add that emotional exhaustion is the first stage of coach burnout which leads to subsequent stages of depersonalisation and personal accomplishment.
What can we do to support our own well being and mental health?
Through my own experiences and having conversations with other coaches, I have created a list that can help with dealing prevention of ill-being and burnout and also help with dealing with ill-being and burnout. It is also always okay to speak out if struggling to deal with these stresses or coping with them.
- Consistent Sleep
- Hydration
- Healthy balance meal – Meal preparation/ scheduling
- Time management – Personal, social and work life balance
- Taking time to for reflection
I hope you find this article helpful and supportive towards your coaching. If you have any feedback or thoughts, feel free to contact me.
Sempre Avanti Coach 