July 22, 2025 • 34 mins
In this episode of the Huddle Within Podcast, we dive into the intricate relationship between sports and mental health, discussing both the positive impacts of sports, such as community building, resilience, and routine, as well as the darker aspects, including performance anxiety, social media pressure, and the culture of toughing it out. Emphasising the importance of honesty and support within sports communities, advocating for a more empathetic approach to mental health in athletics.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Sports and Mental Health
04:06 Positive Impacts of Sports on Mental Health
16:12 The Dark Side of Sports: Pressure and Anxiety
28:38 Changing Perspectives: Mental Health Awareness in Sports
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Huddle Within podcast, where we go beyond the
surface to uncover the real impact of sports on our lives.
Whether it's lessons of resilience, the passion that
fuels us, or the stories that connect us all, This is where
the game gets personal. I am Daniel, a regular sports
fan just like you, and together we'll explore what sports truly
means beyond the surface. So step right into the Huddle
and let's get into it. What is going on, everybody?
(00:40):
And welcome to this week's episode of The Huddle Within
podcast. Once again, thank yous very much
for tuning in to another episodewhere we go beyond the deeper
meaning of sports and how it impacts our lives on a deeper
scale. Before I begin, just wanted to
shout out this beautiful club. If you are watching the video,
(01:03):
you will see that I am wearing aWestern City jersey.
Western City is a elite futsal club in Victoria who I've played
for in the past and is owned by a close group of friends of
mine. They have a really big
community. They're doing very well this
season. They're currently top of the
(01:24):
table in the Futsal League Championship, which is the one
division below the top league, which is called Series Futsal.
If they stay on top, they will promote to the highest level,
versing the best futsal teams inthe state.
So shout out to them, they're big supporters of the pod.
Thought I'd get straight into the topic for today and as you
(01:48):
can tell by the title, we're going to be looking into how
sport effects mental health awareness.
So obviously I can't speak from a psychologist and give up those
brain stats and education pieces, but I can definitely
talk as to someone that watches sports, that also play sports
and is also coached within sports.
(02:11):
So, you know, when we watch sport, we always are seeing the
wins, the goals, the medals, allthat surface level stuff that
gets reported on throughout media and through our, I guess,
podcasts. We listen to, if you do listen
to podcasts or post game shows that we watch after a match has
been performed, but we never really go into what happens
(02:34):
behind the scenes. And lately I've been thinking
about the mental toll that comesthrough sports.
As I've done this podcast and asI continue to I guess, talk
about these deeper level things,I start to, I guess, think about
it a lot more. And what I want to discuss is
the mental toll that that does actually come with sports.
(02:56):
And it's not even just at the professional level.
I can't speak from a professional player standpoint,
but I can definitely speak from a place where I play, I guess
state league football where thatis quite competitive and teams
are wanting to promote to higherdivisions.
There is a commitment to train 2nights a week and even other
(03:18):
competitions such as series football as mentioned before,
but also being a fan and really immersing myself into the teams
that I support and wanting them to do well.
There is a lot of pressure when it comes to that and I'm sure we
may not all be able to relate tothe professional level pressure,
being able to perform in front of thousands and thousands of
(03:40):
people in a stadium. But we can definitely relate to
the pressure in our lives when it comes to 1.
Being our work and our jobs, butalso through being a sports fan
and someone that is playing in amental or in a, in a, in a small
weekend league as well or wherever you're playing.
So today's episode is not just going to be about the game
(04:01):
winning plays. It's going to be about the stuff
that's sort of harder to talk about and stuff that is starting
to get mentioned a lot more lately, but still not covered as
much as our basic surface level conversations.
And that is the mental side of sports.
But we don't want this to be a too much of a negative podcast.
(04:22):
So first we're going to be addressing, I guess the positive
aspects and how sport is good for our mental health.
So I think the first thing for me, when I go back to to my
experience of getting into sport, I actually never grew up
in a family that was massive sports fans or lovers.
I guess they appreciated the benefits of sport, but they
(04:45):
never really got into it as I did, supporting teams and
playing it as I did. So it's it was it was something
that became an escape for me andsomething that was able to help
me go through a lot of personal issues in my life.
Being a kid, coming through a rough childhood and quite
(05:08):
frankly a family, a divorced family.
So having that opportunity to play sports at school at
lunchtime made me sort of forgetabout the world.
And from then on it, it promptedme to go into Ozkick.
As I mentioned before, footy, being a part of a team in a
community and having people thatwere kind of in the same
(05:29):
position, not necessarily havingthe same, I guess, personal
family issues, but maybe in another way, but just having the
same common like and, and, and, and I guess strive for
community. And that was what was great
about the sport. So what it does for your mental
health is it makes you feel thatyou're part of something and
(05:50):
part of a team. It sort of became my family to
me, just being able to play withmy friends in, in these sports,
you get that runner's high and that postgame buzz as well,
especially coming after a win. You really feel like you're on
top of the world after you perform and win, compete.
And you also as if you get that run as high.
(06:11):
I know for a lot of guys and people and girls that do
running, the feeling of of finishing a run or even starting
a run, while it is gruesome, youdo get that high once once it's
done and once you've accomplished something.
And I feel like that is the samekind of core things that you get
from achieving something, whether it's a win or even in in
(06:33):
sports of running as well getting that kind of
accomplishment of finishing a race and whatnot.
So those that's really impactful.
I feel routine structures and goals I think are also very good
for the mental health health. It helps people feel grounded
and it gives a sort of essentialstructure and rules to our life.
(06:56):
And it's lessons that we can learn to take into our
professional lives as well. Being able to attend training
and work on your craft, being able to get to certain match
days and trainings on time and also sometimes an hour earlier
to give you that structure and discipline.
And also there is an objective and a goal, which is something
(07:18):
that I find extremely important when it comes to
competitiveness. There is a massive, I guess
debate when it comes to competitiveness in sports and
Australia is probably the biggest example of this.
There are a lot of people that are on the side of being
inclusive, encouragement and getting everyone involved, while
(07:40):
there is others that strive for competition and want to compete
and both things have good elements to it.
I can go back to a recent example where sports, it doesn't
matter how good you are, there is an opportunity for you to go
in and play. But if I'm all, if I'm being
honest, the sport itself is a competition and it really sets
(08:04):
you up for the real world. I remember back in school when
we had school sports, you would have to list down your
preference of which sport you'd want to prefer and it would be
up to the teachers to select which players go into each
sport. Now I find that pretty stupid
because just because I like soccer or I like basketball or I
(08:26):
like cricket or I like footy doesn't necessarily mean I am
good at it. But if I put that as my first
preference, I have a chance to play it for me.
The fact that we didn't have trials in our school just showed
that this was an example of being inclusive and letting
everyone involved in this. Now, I understand that this
(08:46):
might be the only chance for someone to play this sport
through this competition, but inthe end of the day, it is a
competition for a reason. You are competing with other
schools, you're representing your school, and you're putting,
I guess your school badge on theline while playing.
And what frustrated me about ourschool is we had the most
talented players for every respective sport.
(09:07):
But because our school wanted tofocus on having inclusion,
making sure everyone participates, we never really
achieved anything as a sporting team for the school.
Which if we were able to just try out, select the best players
and the best players went through, then we would have had
a competing team in all our sports and possibly would have
(09:29):
won most of the school competitions.
And I really think it's important for schools to have
competitions for sport because the fact of the matter is the
same concept applies when you gofor university and you go for an
interview. The smartest person or the
person they deem fit, we'll makethe job or we'll make the the
course and get their job as well.
(09:50):
Now there's obviously politics involved in all that, but
realistically life is a competition.
So setting that example in school was something that I wish
happened in my school. And I don't think that is a
negative thing as well. I do understand that it can
build a lot of pressure, which we'll obviously get to.
But at the same time, it teachesyou life lessons to knock back
(10:13):
from your failures. And we always talk about
bouncing back up from your failures on this podcast.
So it's something that I thoughtI'd bring up in terms of making
people feel grounded, having that routine structure, but that
also opportunity to achieve a goal and reach a goal as well.
And that goes to my next exampleis how sports can build that
resilience, identity and also community.
(10:34):
So you get your community through your clubs, you're able
to meet people from different cultures, different races,
different beliefs, but everyone has the one common belief and
that is the love for the sport. And I find that really powerful.
I feel like for me as a as a sporting player, being able to
be exposed into those different groups allowed me to kind of see
(10:55):
people in a positive light. Unfortunately, with how the
world is operating and the negativity and a lot of I guess
issues with cultures, races, religions are occurring in our
life, I feel like sport does a really good job in just throwing
that down. Yes, there are cases where there
are people that said that certainly do that thing, but it
(11:16):
is open to anyone that wants to play the game is open to anyone
and that's something that you find I found extremely powerful.
I think if it wasn't for that exposure through sports, I
wouldn't be able to understand and and really respect different
cultures, traditions and all that because I did come from
just a Catholic school. So I was really stuck with that
(11:37):
one identity and one religion. So it was just good to have that
opportunity as well. And that kind of also creates
identity too. Your identity obviously comes
from how you're raised and born,but it can also come through
your sport and being part of community as well.
And that can build a very good overall mental health because it
feels as though that you're inclusive and you're part of
something as well. So, so being able to kind of
(12:00):
bounce back from when you get knocked back on a trial, whether
it's in school or not, or also in your community clubs where
you try to obviously fight for that spot or position.
If you do get knocked back, you're able to build from that
and grow a bit of resilience andcharacter to be able to try
again and continue to try. Now a lot of kids get knocked
(12:21):
back down and feel discouraged, but it's something that will set
them up for life in the future. They end up being, I guess
desensitised to it if they continue to to build that
resiliency and not. And then when I talked about
trials in school and I wanted tomention this again, it doesn't
mean that kids or people should be excluded from those
(12:42):
competitions, but there is a reason why there are levels of
different competitions involved.You have an opportunity to play
at lunchtime with your friends if you want to try in a sport,
there are community groups and teams that play lower divisions
where it's just focused on beinginvolved and playing.
And those things are great too. You don't necessarily have to be
(13:02):
professional if you want to playthe sport.
There are many levels, opportunities, places for you to
play a different sport and enjoyit as well.
So that's something that is beneficial for the mental health
as well. And probably the key thing as
well is the physical health too.A good physical health will lead
to a good mental health. And exercise is always something
(13:23):
that is very good for the physical health.
It gets you outside, it doesn't make you isolated and it gives
you A and to socialise as well. So sport doesn't necessarily
have to be a means of just exercising though.
It can be a means of getting goals and having community with
other people too, which is great.
But a physical side is always isalways a positive too.
(13:46):
So just talking on that. I think when it comes to being a
part of a sport, you're able to get those things.
So for those that are listening to this pod and are probably not
engaged in any sporting or physical activity, if it's by
the means of being physically active, that is great.
But I find that a lot of people don't have the motivations to
(14:08):
continue being physically activebecause they feel as though that
they need to do it alone. What I would say to that is that
if you enjoy being someone that's being someone that wants
to be along with a lot of people, there is opportunities
to do that as well in many different groups and communities
that have it. Like I talked about Western City
(14:30):
right now and I did shout them out before, but every Monday
they have a group, friendlies, matched boys and girls, mixed
league where everyone just playsfor fun football and a lot of
people have improved from that from what I've saw.
Like I went there from now probably a few months back, it
was like probably 3-4 months since I last made it to a
(14:50):
friendly game and I just saw massive improvements from
players that couldn't even know the sport and knew nothing about
it. But they just kept going every
single week, built that confidence and actually
improved. And through the social community
and getting together with their friends, they were able to also
improve their sporting skills aswell.
So it doesn't matter. You might think it's too late,
(15:14):
but there's always time to improve in a sport, especially
if you want to get into one. And it's also a good hobby as
well. It's a good way to socialise
with people, as I mentioned, butalso improve your skills too.
So that's something that I thinkis beneficial for all ages, like
obviously cover this at a young age, but again, for older people
as well that are listening to this pod that probably don't
(15:35):
have any communities or any sporting groups.
If they do, this would be a perfect opportunity to go listen
to this podcast, get some inspiration, go out there, find
a club, find a community. There's so many online, there's
so many places and just and justbe part of it.
And it doesn't even need to be asport itself.
It can also be in fitness as well, health and fitness with
(15:57):
those new groups, we've got BodyFit and I think F45, they all
bring community together. So that's something to kind of
look into there. All right, so now we're going to
get into the dark side, and thisis something that I really want
to cover. And that's with the pressure
that no one sees. So at the same time, we did talk
(16:18):
about how it provides benefits, but there's always negatives
when it comes to that. And sport isn't always the
escape that we think it is. There is that performance
anxiety, as mentioned, even in social competitions, people
carry this weight and it's like their worth is tied to how they
play. And I can be a big example of
(16:38):
this for someone that's playing in a pretty competitive team at
the moment. There are times where I've been
put to the bench and I felt discouraged.
But at the end of the day, it's part of the pressure of being in
the sport and especially that level.
So it's just really trying to understand where the situation
is and especially when you're ina good team.
There were times where I did play and I felt like I had to
(17:00):
perform or be perfect because that kind of bought into my
worth. I'm, I'm not sure if it's the
same for a lot of people, but when you guys playing in
competitions, it feels as thoughif you're not performing, it's
sort of like a character. It kind of tests your character
and it defines your character. The sport, which I have
mentioned in the past, but that can also be a negative thing as
well. There are times where I'm
(17:21):
personally in front of goal. I just shit myself.
I don't know why, but when I getnear a goal, I don't have the to
really score and it's probably because of the anxiety I have in
that moment and to understand how I guess important that that
chance is as well. Penalties, shocking at
penalties. Every time I have taken a
penalty, I just get full anxious.
(17:44):
So anyone that takes a penalty and scores, especially those
professionals I have so much respect for because people say
it's easy for me. It's definitely not easy.
So that's where performance anxiety comes in and that
happens to a lot of people I feel, especially in professional
level as well. Injuries and identity loss is
another example. When you can't play, you feel
(18:06):
like you lose who you are. There are a lot of players that
are really attached to the sportand one injury simply just puts
them off. And being able to not be a part
of the game and not being able to play really effects people's
mental health. And you see it a lot in, in, in,
in sport and in every sport where you get that person that
everyone talks about saying thatif it wasn't for that certain
(18:29):
injury that could have potentially made it and been a
professional player. There are a lot of professional
players that actually go into the sport and they end up not
doing as well because of the injuries they've copped as well.
So just being able to fight thatas well is so mentally taxing
too. And it comes to a point where
(18:50):
you rely so much on playing thatone injury can literally take
you out of what you know. And people think that just
happens in a professional level,but that also happens in in
normal levels as well, in Sundayleagues, in community leagues,
and in state leagues for my example.
Because when you think about it,we all have jobs.
(19:11):
Some people don't, but a lot of people have jobs where they work
for the sake of working. So as soon as their job is
finished, all they're looking forward to is to go to their
clubs, play a match and train. And once an injury hits, you
don't have that outlet at that gate to be able to escape the
problems that you have. And you have to think and ponder
(19:33):
about wishing that you were out on the pitch helping your team,
especially when they're losing, especially if you're a
important, pivotal person to theteam.
You find that that that can be astruggle as well and it really
affects your mental health. This one is probably more on a
professional landscape, but the social media pressure is a
massive 1 and we spoke about this one.
(19:54):
It's wild how much criticism athletes cop online.
Imagine being like 1718 and seeing basically 500 comments on
a bad performance you've had. Or if you've done something like
look at soccer for example. He was only 19 years old.
He missed the penalty for England to win the EUR and he
copped racial abuse. Like for a 19 year old to have
that pressure. I just feel like it's so unfair
(20:16):
and it can be very mentally taxing.
Thank the Lord and thank, I guess the way that sport has
developed that there is more focus on mental health with
psychologists and people puttingthese athletes in the correct
position. But again, it may not be in a
social media, I guess, perspective for people to cope
criticism. But internally you're giving
(20:37):
criticism to yourself as well ifyou do something that ultimately
cost the team. Because realistically, you don't
want to be at fault for a team sport because it's already hard
enough letting yourself down, but it's much harder when you
let the next 10 people in your team for football perspective or
your teammates down as well. And that's the hard thing to to
(20:57):
kind of go through. And that really affects your
mental health as well. And to be honest, it also
affects the mental health of of teammates in another way as
well. Like if someone makes a mistake
too. Yes, there's certain people
that, and I've been, I've been an example of this, that get
angry and feel angry about a player that's made a big
mistake. It affects their mental health
(21:17):
too, because it also hurts them that they feel as though they've
done everything they can to win and it was something that was
out of their control that essentially costed them the
victory there. And it might not just be with a
player, it might be with a coaching decision, it might be
with a referee making the wrong decision.
Those things can really affect the mental health of a player in
(21:40):
any level of sport because in the end of the day, there are
referees, there are coaches, there are players that that cost
you that especially. I remember one game where the
referee cheated me, I wasn't happy, lost my head, got a red
card out of emotion. And for me personally, it just
felt as though that we weren't arelegating side at the time,
that nothing was going our way. We couldn't win games, we
(22:02):
couldn't score goals, but we couldn't even get the help from
the referees. And just all that kind of
populated into my mind. And it just came out on the on
the referee too, which I do deeply regret.
But I guess that was a time thatwas a lot different and I wasn't
as mature as I think I am today.But it still gives you that I
guess spill and it really does affect your mental health
(22:24):
overall. Then we go to the next point,
which is the culture of toughingit out.
And this is where kind of sport gets a big a bit toxic as well.
The no pain, no gain mindset. There is this kind of
misconception that you have to go through the struggles to, I
guess if you don't have pain, there's no gain.
So I basically reiterated the quote, but I'm sort of
(22:47):
backtracking here because I'm trying to explain it in a sense
where obviously you need to failto succeed.
But there's also this, this conception that like, if you
don't actually suffer, you won'tget better.
And that's not necessarily always true.
And if you have that pressure inyour mind, then you're always
going to think that you need to overcome what you're going
(23:07):
through. And that can be very, very
taxing as well. There is a stigma for asking
around for help. And this is a big one,
especially not as recent as it was.
But this was obviously back in the day, a very male dominated
sport. And when you were part of a
sporting team, especially back in my day when I was a bit
(23:29):
younger as a kid, you weren't able to really talk about your
mental health. You were just told to stick,
basically suck it up and continue going as well.
And I think a lot of athletes had this issue, like they
weren't able to really talk to anyone and for someone to really
help them because in the back oftheir mind there was this stigma
(23:49):
that they were a man. They have to man up.
This is part of it and everyone goes through it.
And I think that's where a lot of players were affected as
well. What I will say though is that
there is balance to this becausethere is a time where there are
moments where you need to tough it out and and harden up, but
there are sometimes a lot of moments where you do need that
(24:11):
support and love. And it's just finding the
balance as well. And it's great that sport is
starting to implement more, morehelp when it comes to the mental
health of athletes and stuff because back in the day there
wasn't nothing that exists. But still being a male dominant
sport, there is that still lingering around.
I think as well. There is also misunderstandings
(24:31):
from coaches and teammates, especially in an amateur
perspective I would say as well,given that obviously
professionally that becomes partof your life and stuff and it
becomes your life. But in an amateur perspective or
semi pro perspective, you have your other life as well, your
work, your career, and those arethe things that you're supposed
to really have your focus on. And then your sport is meant to
(24:54):
be an escape, as I mentioned before.
But when coaches or teammates start spraying you, giving you
shit, not really understanding how your day was before you've
rocked up the training, it can be very taxing as well.
And it feels like no one really understands what you're going
through because in reality, you're not with these people
every day. You're probably only with them
once, twice, three times a week.And it can become very mentally
(25:17):
taxing too, to get your coach and your teammate just
criticising you when you've had a bad day at work, because
that's a face. And not everyone comes to
training filling 100, 2% and I would say for athletes as well
if they go through their personal lives, if their
relationships too, but topping that on for amateurs with
relationships as well. And 3rd, a thing that happens
(25:37):
and then they have to come to training and give 100% can be
mentally draining as well. And that's what happens when
you're in competitive sports. These are things that come along
the way and that's something that I wanted to emphasise as
well. So when we are quick to
criticise athletes and, and probably our team is as well
sometimes, and this is this is athing that I have to say to
(25:58):
myself as well. I have to be honest.
It's something to consider and really understand that we don't
really know what's happening in their head at the time.
So it's it's something that is starting to get a bit more
recognised, but. I think sport can do a better
job in understanding and people in sport can do a better job in
understanding that people go through more shit than their
(26:19):
their sports. It's good to see people like
Simone Biles and Kevin Love speaking up and that does change
things. It does impact the mental health
space. It does create a bit of a
positive environment and it throws awareness on the
situation that is occurring and the issues of mental health and
how it impacts athletes. It makes them more relatable to
everyday people and helps us understand that they go through
(26:41):
stuff as well. Obviously the social media
journalisms, our journalists andpeople glorify these athletes,
but again, they are human too. As I've mentioned before in the
past as well, the people that doa terrible job in this is the
AFL journalists. I find the AFL journalists
probably the worst journalists in the world from what I've
(27:02):
heard. I watch a lot of American
sports. I watch a lot of UK sports from
the Premier League and European sports as well.
I'm trying to get into Spanish media as well, but what I will
say is that I think Australian news has the most toxicity when
it comes to player abuse and andmissed allegations as well.
(27:22):
And it's really sad because AFL players, they do make an honest
wage. They don't make millions and
millions and millions of dollarslike American athletes and like
UK athletes and people around the world, they at most probably
make well, cosy pickets. The highest.
He's probably making 12 million in nine years, so a little over
$1,000,000 a year, which in theory, yes, is a lot of money,
(27:45):
but it's still an honest wage. It's not something that's
significantly larger than the average person.
So they are still seeing in the light as professional athletes,
yes, but they're not really living the lavish life of a
professional athlete. So for them to get the same kind
of journalistic abuse that athletes that are making
billions of dollars are or multimillions of dollars are, I don't
(28:08):
think it's quite fair. And I think we need to humanise
them as well, especially given that they don't have the same
kind of celebrity status as themtoo.
No one deserves it and I'm not saying that, but it's just
something that I've just noticedwithin Australian media too and
it's something that I wish couldbe fixed up as well.
Now we're going to kind of look into I guess the things that are
(28:29):
changing and what can we do better as well to kind of also
always impact and improve mentalhealth.
The thing that I've mentioned aswell, there is more awareness in
clubs and schools, there are more mental health professionals
in elite teams and big names aresharing their struggles.
And the thing this builds character in players.
Being able to understand a kids mind will help them develop
better and make them get to the next level and I think the the
(28:54):
improvement overall is getting better.
There is more understanding going along the way.
If you're a coach or someone that is part of leadership, it's
always good to check on your players to see if your player's
OK or not, Especially kids. They always need the guidance as
well. I find that I try to talk to the
kids that I coach as much as I can just to make sure that
(29:15):
they're feeling better and they're feeling confident about
their their football as well. And I find that very important.
I do come from a football background, so I do coach
football as well, but really tryto implement life lessons too.
I find very important because inthe end of the day, the kids are
going to be exposed to more things than football.
They're going to be exposed to life and that's something that I
find really important as well. And I still think it's important
(29:37):
for adults as well that are over18 to really try have that
friendship relationship with theplayers too and really feel how
they're feeling as well. And the sport culture just to be
just needs to be a bit more better when it comes to just
trying to seek perfectionism. I think it's important that
human connection and empathy is noted in sports and it's better
(30:00):
than just trying to have a perfect player because that's
not going to happen. And again, as I mentioned on
previous episodes, it's great toembrace our imperfections in our
sport and that's what makes our sport relatable.
And that's why everyone loves to.
So being able to understand thatpeople going to make mistakes.
Shit happens and we move on fromit.
But basically from finishing up this conversation, I don't have
(30:24):
all the answers as I always say,but it just starts with I think
being honest. I think honesty is the best
policy. Really saying where you are,
really understanding where you are in your mind and how you
feel for certain things will go a long way for anyone that is
listening to this. Again, it's always better just
to say how you feel and express your concerns, your frustrations
(30:46):
to someone that you trust, but also to your sporting teams.
So then you can get the best help that you need.
If you hold it in, no one is going to help you and no one is
going to understand what you're going through and you're just
going to continue to feel this way.
If you ever feel pressure, burnout or sports messing with
your head as well, you're not the only one.
And it's always OK to talk aboutit.
(31:07):
I'm, I'm talking about it here. I've gone through so many mental
barriers in sport. As much as I do love it, there
are times where I hate it. There are times where I don't
even want to train or there are times where I don't want to
play. But if I do speak to people and
have friends around coaches and everything and to talk about, it
makes it a lot more easier for me to go to my sporting events
(31:27):
when I'm feeling like this. But it'd be great for you guys
to jump in the conversation and really share your sporting
stories and tell me if this really kind of gave you a bit of
perspective on the mental side of sports.
I would love to hear everyone's personal stories.
I'm sure that everyone plays sport at any level.
So no level will be judged here on the huddle within.
I want to keep the chat going and I guess see where you guys
(31:49):
are at mentally with your with your kind of sport minds and how
it impacts you. We didn't really talk too much
into fandom while quickly wrap that up because I think fandom
is important. Just understand that you're not
in control of your sporting teams as much as you want your
sporting teams to win, as much as you want to defend them by
(32:10):
the sword. As much as people are probably
going to criticise you for your sport team losing.
I find that if you don't care asmuch and show care and just
embrace the the the difficultiesand the fact that you've lost,
it will be better for your mental health as well.
Because at the end of the day, sports fandom comes in waves and
flows. There are times when your team
is good and there are times whenyour team is terrible.
(32:32):
Listen to Gotuso's quote for that reference too.
Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.
If you live with that life and that motto, you'll feel better
being a sports fan as well. And it becomes less taxing for
you as well to your mental health because in the end of the
day, you can't do, you can only support and be there.
And that's probably the best form of support you can do.
And eventually one day there aresome teams that don't win
(32:55):
anything in their lifetime. But you're living in our life
expenses around 70 years old, you're living at least 70 years.
So you have 70 years to witness at least one of your teams.
If you go from multiple teams win a trophy or a title in some
stage, like look in Newcastle, look at Crystal Palace, look at
Leicester, they'll be very happywith winning one trophy in their
(33:15):
lifetime. But anyway, it's been another
episode of The Huddle Within Podcast.
Thank you very much for tuning in to this episode.
Again, I will catch you guys on the next one.
Cheers. So that's a wrap for this week's
episode of The Huddle Within Podcast.
I appreciate you for tuning in and being part of this community
where we go beyond the game and into what really matters.
(33:37):
If this episode resonated with you, make sure to subscribe,
leave a review, and share it with someone who sees sports
just the way that we do. And hey, I'd love to hear from
you. Connect with me on my social
medias, which will be linked below, send in your thoughts and
even be part of a future episode.
Until next time, keep that passion alive, stay in the
huddle, and remember it's alwaysdeeper than the game.
(33:57):
Cheers.
Welcome to the Huddle Within podcast, where we go beyond the
surface to uncover the real impact of sports on our lives.
Whether it's lessons of resilience, the passion that
fuels us, or the stories that connect us all, This is where
the game gets personal. I am Daniel, a regular sports
fan just like you, and together we'll explore what sports truly
means beyond the surface. So step right into the Huddle
and let's get into it. What is going on, everybody?
(00:40):
And welcome to this week's episode of The Huddle Within
podcast. Once again, thank yous very much
for tuning in to another episodewhere we go beyond the deeper
meaning of sports and how it impacts our lives on a deeper
scale. Before I begin, just wanted to
shout out this beautiful club. If you are watching the video,
(01:03):
you will see that I am wearing aWestern City jersey.
Western City is a elite futsal club in Victoria who I've played
for in the past and is owned by a close group of friends of
mine. They have a really big
community. They're doing very well this
season. They're currently top of the
(01:24):
table in the Futsal League Championship, which is the one
division below the top league, which is called Series Futsal.
If they stay on top, they will promote to the highest level,
versing the best futsal teams inthe state.
So shout out to them, they're big supporters of the pod.
Thought I'd get straight into the topic for today and as you
(01:48):
can tell by the title, we're going to be looking into how
sport effects mental health awareness.
So obviously I can't speak from a psychologist and give up those
brain stats and education pieces, but I can definitely
talk as to someone that watches sports, that also play sports
and is also coached within sports.
(02:11):
So, you know, when we watch sport, we always are seeing the
wins, the goals, the medals, allthat surface level stuff that
gets reported on throughout media and through our, I guess,
podcasts. We listen to, if you do listen
to podcasts or post game shows that we watch after a match has
been performed, but we never really go into what happens
(02:34):
behind the scenes. And lately I've been thinking
about the mental toll that comesthrough sports.
As I've done this podcast and asI continue to I guess, talk
about these deeper level things,I start to, I guess, think about
it a lot more. And what I want to discuss is
the mental toll that that does actually come with sports.
(02:56):
And it's not even just at the professional level.
I can't speak from a professional player standpoint,
but I can definitely speak from a place where I play, I guess
state league football where thatis quite competitive and teams
are wanting to promote to higherdivisions.
There is a commitment to train 2nights a week and even other
(03:18):
competitions such as series football as mentioned before,
but also being a fan and really immersing myself into the teams
that I support and wanting them to do well.
There is a lot of pressure when it comes to that and I'm sure we
may not all be able to relate tothe professional level pressure,
being able to perform in front of thousands and thousands of
(03:40):
people in a stadium. But we can definitely relate to
the pressure in our lives when it comes to 1.
Being our work and our jobs, butalso through being a sports fan
and someone that is playing in amental or in a, in a, in a small
weekend league as well or wherever you're playing.
So today's episode is not just going to be about the game
(04:01):
winning plays. It's going to be about the stuff
that's sort of harder to talk about and stuff that is starting
to get mentioned a lot more lately, but still not covered as
much as our basic surface level conversations.
And that is the mental side of sports.
But we don't want this to be a too much of a negative podcast.
(04:22):
So first we're going to be addressing, I guess the positive
aspects and how sport is good for our mental health.
So I think the first thing for me, when I go back to to my
experience of getting into sport, I actually never grew up
in a family that was massive sports fans or lovers.
I guess they appreciated the benefits of sport, but they
(04:45):
never really got into it as I did, supporting teams and
playing it as I did. So it's it was it was something
that became an escape for me andsomething that was able to help
me go through a lot of personal issues in my life.
Being a kid, coming through a rough childhood and quite
(05:08):
frankly a family, a divorced family.
So having that opportunity to play sports at school at
lunchtime made me sort of forgetabout the world.
And from then on it, it promptedme to go into Ozkick.
As I mentioned before, footy, being a part of a team in a
community and having people thatwere kind of in the same
(05:29):
position, not necessarily havingthe same, I guess, personal
family issues, but maybe in another way, but just having the
same common like and, and, and, and I guess strive for
community. And that was what was great
about the sport. So what it does for your mental
health is it makes you feel thatyou're part of something and
(05:50):
part of a team. It sort of became my family to
me, just being able to play withmy friends in, in these sports,
you get that runner's high and that postgame buzz as well,
especially coming after a win. You really feel like you're on
top of the world after you perform and win, compete.
And you also as if you get that run as high.
(06:11):
I know for a lot of guys and people and girls that do
running, the feeling of of finishing a run or even starting
a run, while it is gruesome, youdo get that high once once it's
done and once you've accomplished something.
And I feel like that is the samekind of core things that you get
from achieving something, whether it's a win or even in in
(06:33):
sports of running as well getting that kind of
accomplishment of finishing a race and whatnot.
So those that's really impactful.
I feel routine structures and goals I think are also very good
for the mental health health. It helps people feel grounded
and it gives a sort of essentialstructure and rules to our life.
(06:56):
And it's lessons that we can learn to take into our
professional lives as well. Being able to attend training
and work on your craft, being able to get to certain match
days and trainings on time and also sometimes an hour earlier
to give you that structure and discipline.
And also there is an objective and a goal, which is something
(07:18):
that I find extremely important when it comes to
competitiveness. There is a massive, I guess
debate when it comes to competitiveness in sports and
Australia is probably the biggest example of this.
There are a lot of people that are on the side of being
inclusive, encouragement and getting everyone involved, while
(07:40):
there is others that strive for competition and want to compete
and both things have good elements to it.
I can go back to a recent example where sports, it doesn't
matter how good you are, there is an opportunity for you to go
in and play. But if I'm all, if I'm being
honest, the sport itself is a competition and it really sets
(08:04):
you up for the real world. I remember back in school when
we had school sports, you would have to list down your
preference of which sport you'd want to prefer and it would be
up to the teachers to select which players go into each
sport. Now I find that pretty stupid
because just because I like soccer or I like basketball or I
(08:26):
like cricket or I like footy doesn't necessarily mean I am
good at it. But if I put that as my first
preference, I have a chance to play it for me.
The fact that we didn't have trials in our school just showed
that this was an example of being inclusive and letting
everyone involved in this. Now, I understand that this
(08:46):
might be the only chance for someone to play this sport
through this competition, but inthe end of the day, it is a
competition for a reason. You are competing with other
schools, you're representing your school, and you're putting,
I guess your school badge on theline while playing.
And what frustrated me about ourschool is we had the most
talented players for every respective sport.
(09:07):
But because our school wanted tofocus on having inclusion,
making sure everyone participates, we never really
achieved anything as a sporting team for the school.
Which if we were able to just try out, select the best players
and the best players went through, then we would have had
a competing team in all our sports and possibly would have
(09:29):
won most of the school competitions.
And I really think it's important for schools to have
competitions for sport because the fact of the matter is the
same concept applies when you gofor university and you go for an
interview. The smartest person or the
person they deem fit, we'll makethe job or we'll make the the
course and get their job as well.
(09:50):
Now there's obviously politics involved in all that, but
realistically life is a competition.
So setting that example in school was something that I wish
happened in my school. And I don't think that is a
negative thing as well. I do understand that it can
build a lot of pressure, which we'll obviously get to.
But at the same time, it teachesyou life lessons to knock back
(10:13):
from your failures. And we always talk about
bouncing back up from your failures on this podcast.
So it's something that I thoughtI'd bring up in terms of making
people feel grounded, having that routine structure, but that
also opportunity to achieve a goal and reach a goal as well.
And that goes to my next exampleis how sports can build that
resilience, identity and also community.
(10:34):
So you get your community through your clubs, you're able
to meet people from different cultures, different races,
different beliefs, but everyone has the one common belief and
that is the love for the sport. And I find that really powerful.
I feel like for me as a as a sporting player, being able to
be exposed into those different groups allowed me to kind of see
(10:55):
people in a positive light. Unfortunately, with how the
world is operating and the negativity and a lot of I guess
issues with cultures, races, religions are occurring in our
life, I feel like sport does a really good job in just throwing
that down. Yes, there are cases where there
are people that said that certainly do that thing, but it
(11:16):
is open to anyone that wants to play the game is open to anyone
and that's something that you find I found extremely powerful.
I think if it wasn't for that exposure through sports, I
wouldn't be able to understand and and really respect different
cultures, traditions and all that because I did come from
just a Catholic school. So I was really stuck with that
(11:37):
one identity and one religion. So it was just good to have that
opportunity as well. And that kind of also creates
identity too. Your identity obviously comes
from how you're raised and born,but it can also come through
your sport and being part of community as well.
And that can build a very good overall mental health because it
feels as though that you're inclusive and you're part of
something as well. So, so being able to kind of
(12:00):
bounce back from when you get knocked back on a trial, whether
it's in school or not, or also in your community clubs where
you try to obviously fight for that spot or position.
If you do get knocked back, you're able to build from that
and grow a bit of resilience andcharacter to be able to try
again and continue to try. Now a lot of kids get knocked
(12:21):
back down and feel discouraged, but it's something that will set
them up for life in the future. They end up being, I guess
desensitised to it if they continue to to build that
resiliency and not. And then when I talked about
trials in school and I wanted tomention this again, it doesn't
mean that kids or people should be excluded from those
(12:42):
competitions, but there is a reason why there are levels of
different competitions involved.You have an opportunity to play
at lunchtime with your friends if you want to try in a sport,
there are community groups and teams that play lower divisions
where it's just focused on beinginvolved and playing.
And those things are great too. You don't necessarily have to be
(13:02):
professional if you want to playthe sport.
There are many levels, opportunities, places for you to
play a different sport and enjoyit as well.
So that's something that is beneficial for the mental health
as well. And probably the key thing as
well is the physical health too.A good physical health will lead
to a good mental health. And exercise is always something
(13:23):
that is very good for the physical health.
It gets you outside, it doesn't make you isolated and it gives
you A and to socialise as well. So sport doesn't necessarily
have to be a means of just exercising though.
It can be a means of getting goals and having community with
other people too, which is great.
But a physical side is always isalways a positive too.
(13:46):
So just talking on that. I think when it comes to being a
part of a sport, you're able to get those things.
So for those that are listening to this pod and are probably not
engaged in any sporting or physical activity, if it's by
the means of being physically active, that is great.
But I find that a lot of people don't have the motivations to
(14:08):
continue being physically activebecause they feel as though that
they need to do it alone. What I would say to that is that
if you enjoy being someone that's being someone that wants
to be along with a lot of people, there is opportunities
to do that as well in many different groups and communities
that have it. Like I talked about Western City
(14:30):
right now and I did shout them out before, but every Monday
they have a group, friendlies, matched boys and girls, mixed
league where everyone just playsfor fun football and a lot of
people have improved from that from what I've saw.
Like I went there from now probably a few months back, it
was like probably 3-4 months since I last made it to a
(14:50):
friendly game and I just saw massive improvements from
players that couldn't even know the sport and knew nothing about
it. But they just kept going every
single week, built that confidence and actually
improved. And through the social community
and getting together with their friends, they were able to also
improve their sporting skills aswell.
So it doesn't matter. You might think it's too late,
(15:14):
but there's always time to improve in a sport, especially
if you want to get into one. And it's also a good hobby as
well. It's a good way to socialise
with people, as I mentioned, butalso improve your skills too.
So that's something that I thinkis beneficial for all ages, like
obviously cover this at a young age, but again, for older people
as well that are listening to this pod that probably don't
(15:35):
have any communities or any sporting groups.
If they do, this would be a perfect opportunity to go listen
to this podcast, get some inspiration, go out there, find
a club, find a community. There's so many online, there's
so many places and just and justbe part of it.
And it doesn't even need to be asport itself.
It can also be in fitness as well, health and fitness with
(15:57):
those new groups, we've got BodyFit and I think F45, they all
bring community together. So that's something to kind of
look into there. All right, so now we're going to
get into the dark side, and thisis something that I really want
to cover. And that's with the pressure
that no one sees. So at the same time, we did talk
(16:18):
about how it provides benefits, but there's always negatives
when it comes to that. And sport isn't always the
escape that we think it is. There is that performance
anxiety, as mentioned, even in social competitions, people
carry this weight and it's like their worth is tied to how they
play. And I can be a big example of
(16:38):
this for someone that's playing in a pretty competitive team at
the moment. There are times where I've been
put to the bench and I felt discouraged.
But at the end of the day, it's part of the pressure of being in
the sport and especially that level.
So it's just really trying to understand where the situation
is and especially when you're ina good team.
There were times where I did play and I felt like I had to
(17:00):
perform or be perfect because that kind of bought into my
worth. I'm, I'm not sure if it's the
same for a lot of people, but when you guys playing in
competitions, it feels as thoughif you're not performing, it's
sort of like a character. It kind of tests your character
and it defines your character. The sport, which I have
mentioned in the past, but that can also be a negative thing as
well. There are times where I'm
(17:21):
personally in front of goal. I just shit myself.
I don't know why, but when I getnear a goal, I don't have the to
really score and it's probably because of the anxiety I have in
that moment and to understand how I guess important that that
chance is as well. Penalties, shocking at
penalties. Every time I have taken a
penalty, I just get full anxious.
(17:44):
So anyone that takes a penalty and scores, especially those
professionals I have so much respect for because people say
it's easy for me. It's definitely not easy.
So that's where performance anxiety comes in and that
happens to a lot of people I feel, especially in professional
level as well. Injuries and identity loss is
another example. When you can't play, you feel
(18:06):
like you lose who you are. There are a lot of players that
are really attached to the sportand one injury simply just puts
them off. And being able to not be a part
of the game and not being able to play really effects people's
mental health. And you see it a lot in, in, in,
in sport and in every sport where you get that person that
everyone talks about saying thatif it wasn't for that certain
(18:29):
injury that could have potentially made it and been a
professional player. There are a lot of professional
players that actually go into the sport and they end up not
doing as well because of the injuries they've copped as well.
So just being able to fight thatas well is so mentally taxing
too. And it comes to a point where
(18:50):
you rely so much on playing thatone injury can literally take
you out of what you know. And people think that just
happens in a professional level,but that also happens in in
normal levels as well, in Sundayleagues, in community leagues,
and in state leagues for my example.
Because when you think about it,we all have jobs.
(19:11):
Some people don't, but a lot of people have jobs where they work
for the sake of working. So as soon as their job is
finished, all they're looking forward to is to go to their
clubs, play a match and train. And once an injury hits, you
don't have that outlet at that gate to be able to escape the
problems that you have. And you have to think and ponder
(19:33):
about wishing that you were out on the pitch helping your team,
especially when they're losing, especially if you're a
important, pivotal person to theteam.
You find that that that can be astruggle as well and it really
affects your mental health. This one is probably more on a
professional landscape, but the social media pressure is a
massive 1 and we spoke about this one.
(19:54):
It's wild how much criticism athletes cop online.
Imagine being like 1718 and seeing basically 500 comments on
a bad performance you've had. Or if you've done something like
look at soccer for example. He was only 19 years old.
He missed the penalty for England to win the EUR and he
copped racial abuse. Like for a 19 year old to have
that pressure. I just feel like it's so unfair
(20:16):
and it can be very mentally taxing.
Thank the Lord and thank, I guess the way that sport has
developed that there is more focus on mental health with
psychologists and people puttingthese athletes in the correct
position. But again, it may not be in a
social media, I guess, perspective for people to cope
criticism. But internally you're giving
(20:37):
criticism to yourself as well ifyou do something that ultimately
cost the team. Because realistically, you don't
want to be at fault for a team sport because it's already hard
enough letting yourself down, but it's much harder when you
let the next 10 people in your team for football perspective or
your teammates down as well. And that's the hard thing to to
(20:57):
kind of go through. And that really affects your
mental health as well. And to be honest, it also
affects the mental health of of teammates in another way as
well. Like if someone makes a mistake
too. Yes, there's certain people
that, and I've been, I've been an example of this, that get
angry and feel angry about a player that's made a big
mistake. It affects their mental health
(21:17):
too, because it also hurts them that they feel as though they've
done everything they can to win and it was something that was
out of their control that essentially costed them the
victory there. And it might not just be with a
player, it might be with a coaching decision, it might be
with a referee making the wrong decision.
Those things can really affect the mental health of a player in
(21:40):
any level of sport because in the end of the day, there are
referees, there are coaches, there are players that that cost
you that especially. I remember one game where the
referee cheated me, I wasn't happy, lost my head, got a red
card out of emotion. And for me personally, it just
felt as though that we weren't arelegating side at the time,
that nothing was going our way. We couldn't win games, we
(22:02):
couldn't score goals, but we couldn't even get the help from
the referees. And just all that kind of
populated into my mind. And it just came out on the on
the referee too, which I do deeply regret.
But I guess that was a time thatwas a lot different and I wasn't
as mature as I think I am today.But it still gives you that I
guess spill and it really does affect your mental health
(22:24):
overall. Then we go to the next point,
which is the culture of toughingit out.
And this is where kind of sport gets a big a bit toxic as well.
The no pain, no gain mindset. There is this kind of
misconception that you have to go through the struggles to, I
guess if you don't have pain, there's no gain.
So I basically reiterated the quote, but I'm sort of
(22:47):
backtracking here because I'm trying to explain it in a sense
where obviously you need to failto succeed.
But there's also this, this conception that like, if you
don't actually suffer, you won'tget better.
And that's not necessarily always true.
And if you have that pressure inyour mind, then you're always
going to think that you need to overcome what you're going
(23:07):
through. And that can be very, very
taxing as well. There is a stigma for asking
around for help. And this is a big one,
especially not as recent as it was.
But this was obviously back in the day, a very male dominated
sport. And when you were part of a
sporting team, especially back in my day when I was a bit
(23:29):
younger as a kid, you weren't able to really talk about your
mental health. You were just told to stick,
basically suck it up and continue going as well.
And I think a lot of athletes had this issue, like they
weren't able to really talk to anyone and for someone to really
help them because in the back oftheir mind there was this stigma
(23:49):
that they were a man. They have to man up.
This is part of it and everyone goes through it.
And I think that's where a lot of players were affected as
well. What I will say though is that
there is balance to this becausethere is a time where there are
moments where you need to tough it out and and harden up, but
there are sometimes a lot of moments where you do need that
(24:11):
support and love. And it's just finding the
balance as well. And it's great that sport is
starting to implement more, morehelp when it comes to the mental
health of athletes and stuff because back in the day there
wasn't nothing that exists. But still being a male dominant
sport, there is that still lingering around.
I think as well. There is also misunderstandings
(24:31):
from coaches and teammates, especially in an amateur
perspective I would say as well,given that obviously
professionally that becomes partof your life and stuff and it
becomes your life. But in an amateur perspective or
semi pro perspective, you have your other life as well, your
work, your career, and those arethe things that you're supposed
to really have your focus on. And then your sport is meant to
(24:54):
be an escape, as I mentioned before.
But when coaches or teammates start spraying you, giving you
shit, not really understanding how your day was before you've
rocked up the training, it can be very taxing as well.
And it feels like no one really understands what you're going
through because in reality, you're not with these people
every day. You're probably only with them
once, twice, three times a week.And it can become very mentally
(25:17):
taxing too, to get your coach and your teammate just
criticising you when you've had a bad day at work, because
that's a face. And not everyone comes to
training filling 100, 2% and I would say for athletes as well
if they go through their personal lives, if their
relationships too, but topping that on for amateurs with
relationships as well. And 3rd, a thing that happens
(25:37):
and then they have to come to training and give 100% can be
mentally draining as well. And that's what happens when
you're in competitive sports. These are things that come along
the way and that's something that I wanted to emphasise as
well. So when we are quick to
criticise athletes and, and probably our team is as well
sometimes, and this is this is athing that I have to say to
(25:58):
myself as well. I have to be honest.
It's something to consider and really understand that we don't
really know what's happening in their head at the time.
So it's it's something that is starting to get a bit more
recognised, but. I think sport can do a better
job in understanding and people in sport can do a better job in
understanding that people go through more shit than their
(26:19):
their sports. It's good to see people like
Simone Biles and Kevin Love speaking up and that does change
things. It does impact the mental health
space. It does create a bit of a
positive environment and it throws awareness on the
situation that is occurring and the issues of mental health and
how it impacts athletes. It makes them more relatable to
everyday people and helps us understand that they go through
(26:41):
stuff as well. Obviously the social media
journalisms, our journalists andpeople glorify these athletes,
but again, they are human too. As I've mentioned before in the
past as well, the people that doa terrible job in this is the
AFL journalists. I find the AFL journalists
probably the worst journalists in the world from what I've
(27:02):
heard. I watch a lot of American
sports. I watch a lot of UK sports from
the Premier League and European sports as well.
I'm trying to get into Spanish media as well, but what I will
say is that I think Australian news has the most toxicity when
it comes to player abuse and andmissed allegations as well.
(27:22):
And it's really sad because AFL players, they do make an honest
wage. They don't make millions and
millions and millions of dollarslike American athletes and like
UK athletes and people around the world, they at most probably
make well, cosy pickets. The highest.
He's probably making 12 million in nine years, so a little over
$1,000,000 a year, which in theory, yes, is a lot of money,
(27:45):
but it's still an honest wage. It's not something that's
significantly larger than the average person.
So they are still seeing in the light as professional athletes,
yes, but they're not really living the lavish life of a
professional athlete. So for them to get the same kind
of journalistic abuse that athletes that are making
billions of dollars are or multimillions of dollars are, I don't
(28:08):
think it's quite fair. And I think we need to humanise
them as well, especially given that they don't have the same
kind of celebrity status as themtoo.
No one deserves it and I'm not saying that, but it's just
something that I've just noticedwithin Australian media too and
it's something that I wish couldbe fixed up as well.
Now we're going to kind of look into I guess the things that are
(28:29):
changing and what can we do better as well to kind of also
always impact and improve mentalhealth.
The thing that I've mentioned aswell, there is more awareness in
clubs and schools, there are more mental health professionals
in elite teams and big names aresharing their struggles.
And the thing this builds character in players.
Being able to understand a kids mind will help them develop
better and make them get to the next level and I think the the
(28:54):
improvement overall is getting better.
There is more understanding going along the way.
If you're a coach or someone that is part of leadership, it's
always good to check on your players to see if your player's
OK or not, Especially kids. They always need the guidance as
well. I find that I try to talk to the
kids that I coach as much as I can just to make sure that
(29:15):
they're feeling better and they're feeling confident about
their their football as well. And I find that very important.
I do come from a football background, so I do coach
football as well, but really tryto implement life lessons too.
I find very important because inthe end of the day, the kids are
going to be exposed to more things than football.
They're going to be exposed to life and that's something that I
find really important as well. And I still think it's important
(29:37):
for adults as well that are over18 to really try have that
friendship relationship with theplayers too and really feel how
they're feeling as well. And the sport culture just to be
just needs to be a bit more better when it comes to just
trying to seek perfectionism. I think it's important that
human connection and empathy is noted in sports and it's better
(30:00):
than just trying to have a perfect player because that's
not going to happen. And again, as I mentioned on
previous episodes, it's great toembrace our imperfections in our
sport and that's what makes our sport relatable.
And that's why everyone loves to.
So being able to understand thatpeople going to make mistakes.
Shit happens and we move on fromit.
But basically from finishing up this conversation, I don't have
(30:24):
all the answers as I always say,but it just starts with I think
being honest. I think honesty is the best
policy. Really saying where you are,
really understanding where you are in your mind and how you
feel for certain things will go a long way for anyone that is
listening to this. Again, it's always better just
to say how you feel and express your concerns, your frustrations
(30:46):
to someone that you trust, but also to your sporting teams.
So then you can get the best help that you need.
If you hold it in, no one is going to help you and no one is
going to understand what you're going through and you're just
going to continue to feel this way.
If you ever feel pressure, burnout or sports messing with
your head as well, you're not the only one.
And it's always OK to talk aboutit.
(31:07):
I'm, I'm talking about it here. I've gone through so many mental
barriers in sport. As much as I do love it, there
are times where I hate it. There are times where I don't
even want to train or there are times where I don't want to
play. But if I do speak to people and
have friends around coaches and everything and to talk about, it
makes it a lot more easier for me to go to my sporting events
(31:27):
when I'm feeling like this. But it'd be great for you guys
to jump in the conversation and really share your sporting
stories and tell me if this really kind of gave you a bit of
perspective on the mental side of sports.
I would love to hear everyone's personal stories.
I'm sure that everyone plays sport at any level.
So no level will be judged here on the huddle within.
I want to keep the chat going and I guess see where you guys
(31:49):
are at mentally with your with your kind of sport minds and how
it impacts you. We didn't really talk too much
into fandom while quickly wrap that up because I think fandom
is important. Just understand that you're not
in control of your sporting teams as much as you want your
sporting teams to win, as much as you want to defend them by
(32:10):
the sword. As much as people are probably
going to criticise you for your sport team losing.
I find that if you don't care asmuch and show care and just
embrace the the the difficultiesand the fact that you've lost,
it will be better for your mental health as well.
Because at the end of the day, sports fandom comes in waves and
flows. There are times when your team
is good and there are times whenyour team is terrible.
(32:32):
Listen to Gotuso's quote for that reference too.
Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.
If you live with that life and that motto, you'll feel better
being a sports fan as well. And it becomes less taxing for
you as well to your mental health because in the end of the
day, you can't do, you can only support and be there.
And that's probably the best form of support you can do.
And eventually one day there aresome teams that don't win
(32:55):
anything in their lifetime. But you're living in our life
expenses around 70 years old, you're living at least 70 years.
So you have 70 years to witness at least one of your teams.
If you go from multiple teams win a trophy or a title in some
stage, like look in Newcastle, look at Crystal Palace, look at
Leicester, they'll be very happywith winning one trophy in their
(33:15):
lifetime. But anyway, it's been another
episode of The Huddle Within Podcast.
Thank you very much for tuning in to this episode.
Again, I will catch you guys on the next one.
Cheers. So that's a wrap for this week's
episode of The Huddle Within Podcast.
I appreciate you for tuning in and being part of this community
where we go beyond the game and into what really matters.
(33:37):
If this episode resonated with you, make sure to subscribe,
leave a review, and share it with someone who sees sports
just the way that we do. And hey, I'd love to hear from
you. Connect with me on my social
medias, which will be linked below, send in your thoughts and
even be part of a future episode.
Until next time, keep that passion alive, stay in the
huddle, and remember it's alwaysdeeper than the game.
(33:57):
Cheers.
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