Mental Health for Athletes in a ‘VUCA’ World

For most people, life, in general, has in recent years been characterised by extreme volatility,uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). With the arrival of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns, we all had to learn to adjust and expect constant change. Athletes had to adapt training programmes, and competition schedules with looming uncertainties.

This left management teams and coaches under a lot of pressure trying to keep some sort ofmomentum going and keep themselves and their athletes motivated. After lockdowns were lifted, coaches and their management teams had to try and pick up where things were left with the understanding that things have changed. WECSA recognised the new order that we faced and that there was a need to pause, reflect and plan for the future with consideration of the past.

BeeConectar was invited to address the WECSA coaches along with other professionals at the Post Covid-19. Return to Play Seminar held on 27 November 2021. Our mental health awareness talk was presented within the framework of the VUCA concept. We also highlighted the importance of mental health and wellness, acknowledging the levels of loss people experienced during the pandemic.

Coaches were encouraged in hearing about hope for a VUCA world. In times of volatility, vision is crucial to keep teams and athletes on course. Uncertainty calls for understanding, and complexity calls for clarity. Perhaps the most demanding is the call for agility or adaptability in the face of extreme ambiguity. Mental health intervention and a focus on mental wellness for athletes is a worthwhile area of focus to support not only athletes but coaches and management teams, in promoting increasingresilience, and optimal performance.