{"id":177173,"date":"2020-03-13T09:58:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T09:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=177173"},"modified":"2020-03-13T09:58:46","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T09:58:46","slug":"you-are-not-alone-usas-cycling-new-well-being-programme-looks-to-shed-more-light-on-mental-heath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/03\/13\/you-are-not-alone-usas-cycling-new-well-being-programme-looks-to-shed-more-light-on-mental-heath\/","title":{"rendered":"You Are Not Alone: USA\u2019s Cycling New Well-Being Programme Looks to Shed More Light on Mental Heath"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mental health and sports have a complicated relationship. One that is definitely evolving but that still has a long way to go. Kelsey Erickson, a varsity athlete, turned academic researcher, turned director of SafeSport USA, is on a mission to change the way we think and talk about wellbeing in the world of sports. In her first year as director, she has already made huge strides in providing athletes with mental resources and has been the driving force behind team USA\u2019s new Well-Being programme, which launched last month. We Love Cycling talked to her about the delicate balance between discipline and good mental health, the slow unravelling of athletic stereotypes, and the importance of coming together to address these issues as a community.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is your own athletic background and how did you become director of SafeSport USA?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sports have always been a huge part of my life. I played basketball in college, then switched to volleyball when I moved to the UK for my masters.\u00a0As soon as I graduated and was no longer a student-athlete, I realized how much I was going to miss it. That is when I came across the field of sport psychology and I figured that would be a great way to combine my passions.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Kelsey Erickson, a varsity athlete, turned academic researcher, turned director of SafeSport USA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My master\u2019s and PhD studies were focused on the issue of doping in sport. I came into the topic with a very black and white view but through conversations with various individuals who had been impacted by doping \u2013 whether that be via someone else\u2019s doping behaviour, their own or whistleblowing on doping \u2013 I quickly came to appreciate that\u00a0doping is a lot more complicated. I came to see\u00a0how difficult it can be to speak up about misconduct in sport more generally, despite the fact that individuals are increasingly expected to do so.\u00a0I became passionate about providing a platform for athletes to share their experiences, speak their truth and challenge current culture. While I started focused specifically on doping in sport, my interest quickly grew to addressing broader integrity issues. So, when the opportunity came for a job that would allow me to lead efforts in both anti-doping and SafeSport, it seemed ideal.<\/em><\/p>\n

Did you know going into this role that you wanted to prioritize mental health? Has it been something you\u2019ve struggled with yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think anyone who has been heavily involved in athletics has confronted mental health issues in one way or another.\u00a0Mental health impacts everyone \u2013 we all want to be mentally healthy.\u00a0A lot of what makes many athletes so exceptional could probably be understood as a mental health disorder if looked at through a different lens. Whether we\u2019re talking about OCD, perfectionism or narcissism, these are qualities that are often\u00a0very useful and productive\u00a0in the sports world\u00a0but when the sport is taken away \u2013 through injury or retirement or whatever it may be \u2013 what was once an asset can quickly become a detriment.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always known that for myself, personally, sports and being active have a very positive impact on my mental health. But there\u2019s also a lot going on internally for most athletes that we\u2019re only starting to talk about. Traditionally, it has been discouraged to show weakness or vulnerability in the world of competitive sports and that has caused a lot of problems. Thankfully that\u2019s starting to change, we\u2019re seeing a recontextualizing of weakness as bravery and vulnerability as strength.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
2019 Colorado Classic presented by VF Corporation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Have you felt demand from athletes for this kind of programme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is really the athletes who have been filling the void themselves because the resources have been so lacking. Many have been brave enough to share their stories and to see that there is strength in speaking out. Thanks to them, we\u2019re starting to understand how common a lot of these issues are.<\/em><\/p>\n

From a\u00a0broader sport\u00a0point of view, I feel like we\u00a0\u2013 those of us working in sport \u2013\u00a0are way behind in providing resources. It is up to us to start actually listening to the stories being shared and to provide both recognition and better access to help and community. The programs\u00a0we\u2019ve launched here at USA Cycling\u00a0\u2013\u00a0our Team USA Well-Being Programme and In Our Own Words \u2013\u00a0are\u00a0not only about providing professional resources but also about creating a space for athletes to talk about their struggles and connect.<\/em><\/p>\n

How was the response been thus far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Our Own Words launched with three stories \u2013 dealing with depression, being sexually assaulted by a coach, and dealing with chronic pain \u2013 since its launch, USA Cycling members have contributed stories addressing a range of topics and the responses from readers has been incredibly encouraging. We are starting to talk about things that impact our community and we are learning to come alongside one another to celebrate, cry and rejoice. That is powerful.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Vuelta Ronde van Spanje\u00a0\u00a9 Profimedia.cz, Corbis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With regards to our Well-Being Programme, in just a few weeks\u00a0we\u00a0have already had multiple people reach out to access the services\u00a0offered\u00a0and\u00a0we\u00a0are developing relationships with professionals who are willing to work pro-bono. Now we need to focus on spreading the word and creating a culture where people feel comfortable asking for help. In my opinion, taking care of mental and emotional health should be part of standard training for any athlete. If you\u2019re going to put in so many hours on the bike, it is important to acknowledge that you need to take care of yourself in other ways too. This will be a key part of the messaging we put forth.<\/em><\/p>\n

A big thank you to Kelsey for taking the time to talk to us. You can learn more about the USA Cycling Well-Being programme here. Let\u2019s hope that this vital initiative acts as an inspiration for others. Going forward, a better understanding of mental health has a key role to play in sporting integrity and athlete protection. As a cycling community, it is important that we focus on providing access to mental health services and support for athletes at all levels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mental health and sports have a complicated relationship. One that is definitely evolving but that still has a long way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":177181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[334],"tags":[2809,3985,3986,3987],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-177173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-socialising-and-culture","tag-cycling-and-mental-health","tag-kelsey-erickson","tag-safesport-usa","tag-well-being-programme","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nYou Are Not Alone: USA\u2019s Cycling New Well-Being Programme Looks to Shed More Light on Mental Heath - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mental health and sports have a complicated relationship. One that is definitely evolving but that still has a long way to go. 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