An athlete’s style of communication could reveal their mental strength or the lack thereof. It is the case of Lebanese basketball star Wael Arakji, who competed at the FIBA Asia Cup. Media pressure, social media comments, and injuries can greatly affect a player’s mental state.
In some cases, the tone or content of a pre-game statement can reveal mental strength, or weakness. According to sports psychology expert, Katia Lahoud, “Wael Arakji’s answer, in the media, to the Jordanian player’s taunts before the Asia Cup’s semi-finals illustrated his mental strength”. On that occasion, Arakji had, as a reaction to the Jordanian player’s overconfidence, stated that the answer would be given on the court.
Excessive media pressure
Athletes’ mental and psychological problems are partly due to media pressure: when they win, newspapers glorify them, and when they lose, they’re subjected to a deluge of criticism. Lahoud highlights: “Athletes need to perceived as complex human beings, too, not only as champions”.
Athletes also face problems post-career. Lahoud explains that “the end-of-career/post-career transition is extremely important. Many athletes become coaches to regain their identity. A psychologist can play a big role in this transition”.
Psychological and mental problems, omnipresent in team sports
One tends to believe that psychological and mental issues affect non-team sports athletes only, and that the ones competing in teams have the luxury of camaraderie and interaction before matchday. Katia Lahoud, however, thinks otherwise: “Athletes competing individually need only to focus on themselves, which is easier. Team sports athletes, on the other hand, need to concentrate and work on their communication and coordination skills. Individual sports victories are more comforting”.
Bullying on social media
The enormous impact of social media can also affect high level athletes, who can be antagonized severely for their performance, and even for their physique or ethnic origins. Lahoud states that, in this case, a psychologist’s role is important: “Some athletes are indifferent to the public’s negative comments. When it comes to the more sensitive ones, psychologists will need to understand which comments were aggravating and help their athletes get over them. Some might be affected, but they don’t externalize. This could have significant repercussions on their performance”.
Mostly psychosomatic injuries
In a sports career, one of the most difficult situations for an athlete to be in is loneliness following injury. Lahoud believes that many of these injuries are of a psychological nature: “Some injuries are psychosomatic. Players somatize to avoid playing. Although, for example, an athlete’s leg really is broken, it is often because, deep inside, the athlete in question does not want to continue. This is where the psychologist comes in, to try to understand the underlying reasons behind the athlete’s refusal to compete. Sometimes, a mental block can occur when a player would rather be in a different position than the one they are given by their coach. In other cases, a player’s failure to express their frustration can take a toll on their physical shape. An athlete’s relationship with their coach is very important, as it can limit injury risk”.