Athlete mental health and identity summit – November 2017

Since our first Sydney Summit in February 2017, a huge number of current and former athletes spoke out about the mental and practical challenges they face, making the need for further Summits clear.

On Friday 10 November 2017, we were joined by current and former athletes, and a variety of sporting experts, for a deeper dive into mental health, identity and why athletes need dual pathways. With empowering panels and hands-on workshops, the Summit was packed with actionable insights and practical information, opportunities and tools.

Key topics

We covered:

  • Athlete mental health
  • The concept of identity
  • Building dual pathways
  • Building and managing an online brand
  • Understanding addiction
  • Transferable business skills
  • Staying on top of finances
  • Digital nutrition (how to embrace social media without losing your mind!)
  • Giving players a voice
  • The latest research into athlete transition

Speakers

Elite athletes and sporting experts, included

Athletes speaking at the CTL summit

Panels

How the sporting world is embracing mental health

  • Why sound mental health is so important in the sporting world.
  • The importance of creating a culture within your sporting organisation that embraces mental health awareness.
  • How to create a stigma-free environment for athletes, where sound mental health is seen as a key part of being an excellent athlete, a well-rounded human an enabler of a smoother transition.

Who am I, without my sport?

  • Athlete identity crisis: the mental and emotional effects of retirement – why loss of identity is an issue and what can be done.
  • How to find an identity away from sport by discovering passion and purpose, from athletes who have achieved that.
  • Why it’s important to build a ‘dual pathway’.
  • Duty of care: what responsibility do sporting bodies have to facilitate dual pathways/identity outside of sport?

Workshops

The day included three workshops running concurrently in the morning and three running concurrently in the afternoon. Attendees picked the workshops that most suited their interests or area of expertise. There were takeaways from each workshop at the end of the event for all attendees.

Morning workshops

Workshop A: Mental health awareness: how to create a space safe

How to create a culture of mental health awareness in your team or sporting organisation. Where to start. What tools to use. How to reduce the stigma.

Workshop B: Sport and addiction: Understanding stress, wellbeing and relationships

How to identify and assist athletes with addiction issues on your team, and create a safe environment for athletes.

Workshop C: Creating and managing your online personal brand

How to create and manage a personal brand online in an effective and mentally healthy way.

Afternoon workshops

Workshop A: Building a dual career: avoiding identity crisis

Discovering your passion and purpose: why and how athletes can identify what excites them outside sport, and build a dual identity.

Workshop B: Transferable skills: what an athlete can bring to business

How transferable skills, such as commitment, dedication, goal setting, focus, can be used in the corporate world.
How to develop effective networking, communication and interviewing skills.

Workshop C: Staying on top of your finances

Strategies for managing your finances during and after your sporting career.

Schedule

8.45am Coffee
9.15am Intro and welcome – Gearoid Towey
9.30-10.30 Panel: How the sporting world is embracing mental health

Facilitator: Tracey Holmes

Dan Conn

Kerry McCabe

Matt Mitcham

Kath Koschel

Danni di Toro

10.30-10.40 The lowdown on… The importance of giving players a voice in the media

(Kerry McCabe, CEO, PlayersVoice)

10.45-11.15 Morning tea and networking
11.15-12.30 3 x breakout workshops:

1.      Mental health awareness: how to create a space safe (Rene Poulos, psychologist and career development specialist)

2.      Sport and addiction: Understanding stress, wellbeing and relationships (Chris Mordue, athlete addiction specialist)

3.      Creating and managing your online personal brand (Sam Mutimer, online brand specialist)

12.30-1.10 Lunch and networking
1.10-1.20 The lowdown on… An athlete-led approach to anti-doping education (David Sharpe, CEO, ASADA)
1.20-1.30 The lowdown on… The latest research in athlete transition, from an athlete’s perspective

(Jemma Dessauvagie, PhD candidate and former Australian water polo player)

1.30-2.30 Panel: Who am I, without my sport?

Facilitator: Sarah Cook

Kim Brennan

Al Baxter

Mike Pyke

Sarah Rose

Ed Fernon

Jarrad Howse

Jonathan Stone (EY)

2.30-2.40 The lowdown on… Digital nutrition: how to embrace social media without losing your mind!

(Psychologist Jocelyn Brewer)

2.40-2.50 The lowdown on… The changing the face of sport: an update on Kristen Worley’s landmark case
(Kristen Worley, Canadian cyclist)
3pm-4.15 3 x breakout workshops

1.     Building a dual career: avoiding identity crisis (Deidre Anderson, psychologist and transitions specialist)

2.     Transferable skills: what an athlete can bring to business (James Chapman, sales and leadership consultant, and former Olympic rower)

3.     Staying on top of your finances (Matt Abood, corporate financial services analyst and former Olympic swimmer)

4.15pm Close
4.30pm EY sporting program launch, drinks and networking

November Summit partners