BarcelonaAt the age of 32, Ricky Rubio has decided to put an end to his sports career to take care of his mental health. At 22, Dele Alli was one of the most coveted footballers in Europe. 24 months later, his career was stalled and he was considering retirement. The explanation? A childhood full of traumatic episodes: from the sexual abuse he suffered at the age of six to the use of drugs or admission to a rehabilitation clinic to overcome his addiction to sleeping pills. “Personality, character, education, environment and lived experiences influence the development of talent, which can be blocked if you suffer trauma, blockages or imbalances”, says Maria Cabrera, sports psychologist, to ARA .
Mental training has gone from being a taboo subject to becoming part of the public debate both in society in general and in the world of sport. More and more elite athletes admit to having turned to a professional coaching, from Andrés Iniesta to the coach of Girona, Míchel. “For a long time the world of sport has seen mental health as a sign of weakness rather than strength. Many athletes believed that exposing their vulnerability made them less attractive to clubs, which is why many fear that, if they explain it, this could go against them”, adds Cabrera, who has worked with clubs such as Llevant and Málaga, apart from elite athletes.
One of these players, former Espanyol forward Borja Iglesias, openly acknowledges the benefits of having dealt with professionals like Cabrera: “The psychologists helped me deal with moments of euphoria and manage bad moments. I have progressed in different aspects of the game mentally, in terms of maturity, thanks to them”. El Panda admits that he needed external help to “reflect and relativize” many of the situations he was experiencing. “It went well for me and I learned to relate better to my teammates,” explained the current Betis striker, who speaks of psychologists as his “guardian angels”. “They are special people in my life, who have made me better, they have made me value myself more”, he explains. “When I was young, they helped me clear a blockage, now they help me face the pressure I also have as a coach,” admits Míchel.
The Espanyol squad, which in recent years has been quite exposed to criticism for its irregular results, which have cost it two relegations to Segona, has not been alien to working with psychologists. “During my first months at Espanyol I experienced difficult times when I saw everything negative and thought that nothing was going well for me. External help helped me, now I look more mature, and on the grass that helps you if you fail”, he explained in an interview with ARA. A situation similar to that experienced by the white-and-blue captain, Sergi Darder: “I hit rock bottom, everything was affecting me too much, and a psychologist and a coach they have helped me to be stronger”. Paula Badosa also suffered from anxiety and depression. “I had to work a lot and go through moments of depression, to treat myself, it was very difficult for me to play tennis”, he remembers. For the tennis player from Empordà, it is key “not to create great expectations in young people who think that at 17 they have to be the best”.
For Cabrera, the work of sports psychologists goes far beyond “working when there is a problem”: “It is often associated with psychological disorders or problems, but for the majority of athletes we serve, we help them enhance their performance through the work of variables such as concentration, motivation or routines”, he points out. In fact, he warns that it is key to put more emphasis on prevention: “With daily contact we have detected high-risk problems in time. It is positive that more and more athletes are becoming familiar with it”. An invisible training that is also followed by the reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz: “The psychologist I work with is one of the main reasons why I can be number 1 in the world, she has helped me to be mentally fresh and to withstand the pressure.” The road to the elite starts in the head.
2023-08-09 15:45:50
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