The psychological component “is absolutely essential in the training” of a high-performance athlete, said Wednesday the president of the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP), at the opening of a session on the subject of mental health.
From the point of view of a high performance athlete, the psychological component is absolutely essential in training, with a medical component, physiotherapy, nutrition and psychology. The psychologist, understood here as a person specialized in the areas, must have a very close relationship with those who lead the training process”, he stressed, in the opening speech of the session, at the COP headquarters, in Lisbon.
Organized by the Olympic Athletes Commission (CAO), the first of several power talkswith different themes, which will take place in the coming months, has as its axis the importance of mental health, which “has not always been well treated”.
“Many times psychological support is mixed with pathological treatment that causes high performance in athletes. They are things of a different nature and procedure”, warned José Manuel Constantino, who also recalled the central role of the coaches.
The relationship between the psychologist and the athlete “has to be guided and mediated by the coach, who also needs support”, considered the leader, who stressed that not only athletes enter into “stressful processes” during training and competition.
“It’s easy to spend a few hours in the gym moving your body and changing it, but it’s not so easy to do the same with your mind.. It is essential to go to the gym, but also to have an open and clean mind to get the most out of it, ”he concluded.
CAO President Diana Gomes said that mental health “has been a project of the commission for some years now and, for one reason or another, has not been able to emerge until today,” in developing the “athlete framework.” Olympic in a holistic vision”.
“The CAO has, in its genesis, the representation of the rights and interests of all Olympic athletes. In that mandate I realized and felt that the voice of the athletes, appearing to be tenuous and discreet, began to gain relevance and positive value in the sport”, he underlined.
The main speaker of power talk was the Belgian specialist Paul Wylleman, who works with the Belgian Olympic team, has a doctorate in psychology and is still a professor at the Vige Universiteit, in Brussels, developing his activity as a researcher and professional in sports psychology, performance development and mental support for athletes. .
“The fact that Portugal is looking into this problem is the best thing that can be done to increase progress. Portugal is at the top of Europe when it comes to mental health, just asking the right questions,” said Paul Wylleman, adding: “Without investing in mental health, athletes are not given what they need to compete.” .
Source: Observadora
