The Irish Institute of Sport is working its way through a comprehensive programme of contact with returning Olympic athletes with a view to ensuring the ‘crash’ in terms of post event wellbeing is managed and minimised.
Following on from the article published yesterday on Sport for Business around the problems facing athletes we spoke to David McHugh who runs the Athlete Advisory Service at the Institute alongside former Olympian Eoin Rheinisch.
“We worked closely with the Institute of Sport panel of psychologists and researchers from DCU (funded by the Irish Research Council) to prepare athletes for the Olympic roller-coaster and the recovery beyond,” said McHugh.
“The team developed the “Evolution” workshop programme designed to help athletes plan for the whole games experience.”
“Over 200 Rio-bound athletes coaches, staff and even parents went through the pre-games programme, and we are now making contact to initially see how people are feeling post games and to prepare for what happens next.”
“This will include a mix of ‘unpacking’ the experience of the Games and the cycle leading up to it as well as practical advice on career and education options, personal performance planning for the next cycle for those deciding to go again and transition support for those coming to the end of their sporting career.”
“Our focus is on the whole person and ensuring that every athlete is both ready to deliver their best performance at the Games but also to be as best prepared as possible for what may lie ahead afterwards and eventually in life outside of elite sport.”
“We want to reach out to all those who we have a relationship with through the Institute. For some that will be a call or a coffee for others it might be as simple as a text or a What’s App message. Whatever works to let them know there is support available.”
“In the run up to the games we helped Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes to develop through education programmes, Paddy in a Digital Marketing diploma and Michael through undertaking the Certificate in Dual Career Development (Sport) at Griffith College in Dublin.”
“The preparation for an Olympics is intense and incredibly self centred. We help to get things in perspective and in so doing we can help not only the individual in a wider context but also their performance.”
It is the case that the idea of winning in sport is more absolute than it is in life beyond the white lines. The Institute has a panel of psychologists on whom it can call and has also mirrored the work of IRUPA and the Gaelic Players Association by enabling a confidential 24 hour hotline for advice on a wide range of issues that can cause anxiety and stress.
“We don’t see who makes the calls or why, but in top line terms eight per cent of the athletes in the High Performance category have availed of the service so it is clearly answering a need,” added McHugh.
“When we find an athlete who is struggling with one aspect of their life we do what we can but we also have a referral to experts that can help out in specific areas.”
“We don’t try to fix every problem but we signpost issues and have a back up system for getting people the help they need.”
An important element of the programme is also including parents or partners, coaches and an athletes personal ‘go-to’ network.
Sport for Business’ Coverage of the 2016 Olympic Games is supported by Team Ireland Official Partner Electric Ireland #ThePowerWithin
