Protecting The Pros [Infographic]

Harley Nixon https://clublinefootball.com 4m 1,030 #football

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

The Protection Of Footballers

Sports persons are full of passion for their game and so are the Football players, but then the life of their career is very limited. With age & performance drop the soaring careers come to a fall.

Few take the strides cautiously during their prime years but some succumbs to their emotional turmoil. Few immature decisions & choices during their young days leave them bankrupt.

Footballers have to deal with a lot more than the physical effects once they’ve retired from the beautiful game. In this piece, we’ll show you some of the other struggles players have to deal with, what you should do if you are suffering and where you can go if you are need of some extra support. Sudden injuries, uprooting from the team or retirement leaves these once zealous players in a lurk and depression.

Here is an infographic which just peeks into few of the challenges these players face and the suggestions to realize & tackle them. Supporting Organizations are also there to lend their hands to help these players get over the struggles & lead a normal happy life.

Click to open / Right-click for save options

Text-Friendly Version

PROTECTING THE PROS

Whether you’ve had a career spanning 20 glorious years, or one that hardly got going, footballers have to deal with a lot more than physical effects once they’ve retired from the beautiful game. Here’s some of the struggles they can go through and who’s helping them.

DIFFICULTIES THAT FOOTBALLERS FACE

ADDICTION

Players who are suffering with addiction may find themselves depending on alcohol or drugs in order to cope.

FINANCIAL

Footballers can earn a lot of money, but if players haven’t spent it wisely or saved up enough during their short careers, they can become financially unstable in their later years.

MENTAL

Ex-footballers can suffer from many mental illnesses after they’ve retired from the beautiful game. This can be anything from anxiety, because now they’re not sure what to do, to depression, due to not being able to do what they love anymore.

“I HAD MY OWN TORTURE CHAMBER. IT WAS MY BEDROOM. EVERY DAY I WOULD RETURN FROM TRAINING, QUICKLY SMUGGLE MYSELF IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR, AND GET TO THAT PRIVATE SANCTUARY AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THEN I WOULD STAY THERE, LOCKED IN MY OWN VERY CONFUSED THOUGHTS. I FELT ISOLATED AND A LITTLE DESPERATE, PERSECUTED AS WELL, AND I HAD TO OVERCOME ALL THOSE MESSED-UP EMOTIONS. IT WASN’T EASY AND IT TOOK TIME. PROBABLY EIGHTEEN MONTHS FOLLOWED BEFORE I HAD TRULY COME TO TERMS WITH LIFE AT UNITED AND I WOULDN’T WANT TO GO THROUGH SUCH AN ORDEAL AGAIN. – ANDREW COLE

IF I’M STRUGGLING, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you find yourself struggling with either mental or physical issues and you need extra support, talk to someone. The last thing you should do is bottle up any emotions that you are finding hard to deal with. Find extra support by speaking to…

• FRIENDS AND FAMILY: Talk to your friends and family first as they’ll be able to tell you if you are reacting to your situation typically or not.
• YOUR CLUB/S: Next speak to your former club/s. This could be with the owner, manager, player, the physios, or the club chaplain depending on what is affect you, as they may be able to relate or point you in the right direction.
• YOUR DOCTOR: If you are still suffering, see your doctor as they may be able to prescribe some medicine or send you to someone else that can help.
• SPECIALISTS: FINALLY, SEEK A SPECIALIST IN THE CORRECT FIELD. TRY TALKING TO ONE OF THESE ORGANISATIONS…
  • ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD PROVIDE EXTRA SUPPORT:
    • ADDICTION
      • SPORTING CHANCE CLINIC
        • Founded by ex-footballer and Arsenal legend, Tony Adams.
        • Set up after his own recovery from alcoholism.
        • The clinic has since developed into one of the world’s most innovative centres for the treatment of behavioural problems among professional and amateur sports people.
        • “I KNOW HOW VALUABLE SEEING A COUNSELLOR IS FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE. IT WAS MY PATH INTO RECOVERY… I WANTED A NEW LIFE AND COULDN’T SHARE EVERYTHING; SOME OF IT WAS TOO PERSONAL.” – TONY ADAMS
      • OTHER SERVICES:
        • UNITY SERVICE RECOVERY AA (ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS)
        • UK REHAB
    • FINANCIAL
      • XPRO
        • Established to assist former professional footballers of all ages post-career.
        • Has further education courses, which will lead to a number of job placements through agreements between the college and some of the largest employers in the UK.
        • Has connections through partnerships with recruiters offering employment opportunities with some of the UK’s leading employers such as Vodafone, Virgin Media Business, Jaguar Land Rover, and Leading Construction Companies.
        • According to XPro, two out of every five players are made bankrupt within five years of retiring from professional football.
      • OTHER SERVICES:
        • ACT Athlete Career Transition
        • Career Management Experts we look at your career differently
        • add-victor challenge + change + inspire
    • MENTAL
      • THE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS’ ASSOCIATION (PFA)
        • The PFA has been addressing issues of emotional well-being and addiction for over 14 years.
        • Now has a 24/7/365 counselling telephone helpline service available to members.
        • Players can access a national network of 90 fully-trained counsellors, all of whom understand the emotional roller-coaster that involvement in professional sport can entail.
        • “WE ARE TRYING TO EDUCATE MEMBERS TO BE AWARE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ALSO GIVE IT A WIDER CONTEXT WITHIN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, SO HOPEFULLY PLAYERS WILL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING SHOULD THEY ENCOUNTER ANY ISSUES AND KNOW WHERE TO GET SUPPORT.” – MICHAEL BENNETT, PFA HEAD OF WELFARE
      • OTHER SERVICES:
        • AnxietyUK Here for you since 1970
        • Depression Alliance

“I STARTED TO FEEL ANXIOUS AND HAD A SENSE OF FEAR ABOUT EVERYTHING. I FELT I HAD MADE MY FAMILY UNHAPPY BUT I TOOK IT OUT ON THEM. I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE I COULD TALK TO ABOUT THINGS. MY PERFORMANCE STARTED SLIPPING AND I SPENT A FEW GAMES ON THE BENCH. I STARTED TO HAVE REAL PANIC ATTACKS – FEAR OF NOT PLAYING AND PERFORMING BADLY. DRINK WAS THE THINK THAT CALMED ME DOWN BUT THEN THE NEXT DAY THE ANXIETY WOULD BE WORSE. I BEGAN TO FEEL I HAD NO CONTROL OVER LIFE ON OR OFF THE PITCH.” – PAUL GASCOGNE

clublinefootball.com

(