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BUT ALARM: Several soccer players believe that clubs should focus more on mental health. Here is the Bodø / Glimt player Ulrik Saltnes (right) in a duel with Vålerengas Aron Dønnum. Photo: Lise Åserud, NTB scanpix
A recent report shows that cases of anxiety and depression in soccer players have increased considerably during the crown crisis. – A condition characterized by extreme uncertainty and nerves, says player Glimpse Ulrik Saltnes (27).
– The numbers are not very surprising. I think that regardless of the crown situation, there are many more people who struggle with those things, with whom I have struggled, without standing up, ”says Andreas Ulland Andersen to VG.
He is the coach of the 5th division team Avaldsnes, and has previously been outspoken about his performance anxiety. The 30-year-old was one of Norway’s most promising talents, but because of this he left early at the highest level.
A recent report from the international interest organization for soccer players, FIFPRO, shows that he is far from alone. And during the crown crisis, cases of anxiety and depression for soccer players have increased dramatically.
FORWARD: Andreas Ulland Andersen in 2018 became a face for soccer players who struggle with the mental. Photo: Morten Asbjørnsen, VG.
The study, which was conducted between March 22 and April 14, shows a doubling in the number of reported cases of anxiety and depression compared to previous international results.
– It’s sad, but it’s not surprising. It is by no means a shame for a soccer player, and I think many people think that we are very privileged, but it is a state of extreme uncertainty and nerves. I think that is reinforced for many at the moment, says Bodø / Glimt player Ulrik Saltnes, who has also been open about his mental health challenges in the past.
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NISO union leader Joachim Walltin tells VG that there has been a sharp increase in consultations in recent weeks.
– It’s not very cute. There is a lot of uncertainty. There are a greater number of athletes than in the rest of society than usual, he says, and continues:
– You have more time to reflect now that many are relatively isolated. Without being an expert, training and activity on the mental side help, and athletes are so lucky that they exercise every day, which is one type of medication. Now you have more time to think. Previous concerns may have been about performance anxiety, while now there are concerns about earnings and layoffs. Walltin notes that they have short contracts and are concerned about the future and what is happening with their careers.
Through NISO, players gain access to a male and female psychologist, as well as online mental training through Anja Hammerseng-Edin’s Fearless Mind program.
FIFPRO numbers do not surprise Stabæk Yaw Ihle Amankwah player.
– The aspects of mental health and sport have interested me since before. But this time I myself am in the middle. I’m happy to have a wife and children around me, he says.
NOT SURPRISED: Yaw Ihle Amankwah of Stabæk (left) dueled with Fitim Azemi of Tromsø last year. They are now teammates at Stabæk. Photo: Rune Stoltz Bertinussen, NTB scanpix
The Norwegian Central Organization of Athletes (NISO) is a member of FIFPRO, and conducted its own survey of elite series players in the first three weeks of March. At the time, the responses were clearly different from the FIFPRO figures:
None of the players who answered the survey indicated that they had very poor or poor mental health. Up to 94.5 percent expressed that, on the contrary, they had good or very good mental health.
However, the FIFPRO survey illuminates the warning lights.
– This is a challenging time for us humans. You wake up and don’t know much about what to do. Control is gone as a result of natural forces. It is frustrating, says Amankwah.
NISO survey
Call for more concentration from the clubs.
– I think clubs should focus more on that. Players must have regular contact with, for example, a sports psychologist in order to map their own situation and figure out how to do it. Because there is no doubt that there is a lot of pressure in the best sports both in Norway and in the world in general, says Ulland Andersen.
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The NISO survey shows that about 40 percent of respondents believe that there is little or no focus on mental health at their club.
Ulrik Saltnes also believes that the focus on mental health is related to sports results. He says that in Bodø / Glimt there has been a greater focus on the problem in recent years.
– I think it is a very forgotten part of being an artist, he says and continues:
– It is important to talk about it, but the most important thing is to find out how to handle it. You should give everyone the tools they need to handle it, like talking about it. I think the most important thing is to educate professionals a little bit about how to manage your own mental health.
I need to start again
Everyone thinks that symptoms can now be triggered during a long period of uncertainty, and point out the importance of both athletes and others returning to a more normal daily life.
– For my part, I think this period would have been much more demanding if I had not had the tools I have now. You know a lot of uncertainty about not only performing and staying injury-free, but also getting paid or having an employer. But none of us are virus experts, so we have to deal with what’s allowed, Saltnes says.
– This applies not only to the most important sports, but also to children and young people who may have difficulties in their daily lives. When they enter the sports field and meet friends, it can often give them a boost. They can feel at home and it can be an arena where they feel successful, says Ulland Andersen.
EXPLORING COMPETITION: Stabæk player Yaw Ihle Amankwah believes that clubs should focus more on mental health. Photo: Berit Roald, NTB scanpix
Do you need someone to talk to? Mental Health can be contacted at 116 123. The SOS of the Church can be contacted at 22 40 00 40. The Red Cross can be contacted at 800 33 321. The same telephone number goes to Cruz del Cuello, the site Red Cross website for those under 18 years of age. The Council for Mental Health has a more comprehensive description of telephone numbers and help websites on its websites.
See more statistics from the Elite series on VG Live.
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