Strong Mind for Success

 L’ORMA’ s TC  was held at the Polisportiva ‘Airoldi’, Origgio (VA) with athletes and coaches and people from their association- divided into two days:

The first day of the #SMS National Training Courses opens with a welcome on the pitch by the ‘Airoldi’ women’s football team with the aim of creating an inclusive and welcoming environment in which participants can feel comfortable exploring the topic of mental health.

The session focused on a series of hands-on activities and trainings, led by the girls of the team who participated in the training last October thanks to the #SMS project where they had the opportunity to directly confront mental health challenges in football, exploring their personal experiences and sharing their own strategies to deal with them.

The points considered are:

Identifying SMS Challenges (workshops): Participants took part in practical workshops to identify and better understand specific mental health challenges in the football context – with exercises by the team coach.

Champion Mentality (psychological aspects): Understanding the importance of mental wellbeing in the development of their sporting abilities.

Workshop on Mental Health Challenges – Motivational Tools for Young Footballers (group work): Participants worked together to explore solutions and strategies to address mental health challenges, with a special focus on young footballers.

Football practice: The day ended with a football match all together.

This practice emphasised the importance of inclusion and collaboration in sport. The second day of the National #SMS TC started with the presentation of the #SMS – Strong Mind for Success project, where together we reviewed the goals, objectives and achievements.

By watching the video ( https://youtu.be/dDmlZyB5GnY?si=CCl6Lpw0M2MSqFTd) which brought attention to the importance of mental health in sport.

The points to consider are:

Research #SMS: Main Results (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rtqkb8w413z3l8h14wg91/SMS-Research.pptx?rlkey=g31ecxdt7gsxtv7o0o2zhhd3s&dl=0 )

A presentation of the results of the #SMS research was made available to participants, offering an in-depth look at the data collected and conclusions drawn.

Exploring Mental Health Challenges in Football:

Another interactive quiz session allowed participants to explore the challenges of mental health in football, testing their knowledge and stimulating reflection on the topics covered during the course.

Emotional narratives from lived experience:

The girls who participated in the training shared their emotional accounts of their unforgettable experience, offering an authentic perspective on their experiences, emotions and learning. These testimonies further enriched the understanding of the challenges faced in football.

Continuous workshop: Identified challenges and champion mentality

Through team games, quizzes and reflection sessions, participants consolidated their skills and acquired new tools to tackle mental health challenges.

Evaluation and certification:

The course concluded with an evaluation of the skills acquired and the awarding of certificates. The participants demonstrated a deep understanding of the mental health challenges in football and a commitment to promoting mental wellbeing in their sporting environment and beyond.

Sharing the #SMS toolbox with them:

Podcast #SMS Mind in the Game – Mental Health Diary #SMS Augmented Reality #SMS

Tools that can be useful for their personal and sporting growth.

The national #SMS training course was a further step towards promoting mental health in football, preparing participants to become ambassadors for change in their sports communities and beyond.