Athlete Wellbeing has been widely recognised as essential to the fostering of healthy, well-rounded young athletes in the sport environment. In encompassing the mental, physical and emotional health of athletes, the Athlete Wellbeing Program supports personal growth and enhanced performance in all areas of their lives.

Athlete Wellbeing supports the personal growth and empowered performance of athletes in all areas of their lives, not just on the court. By bringing a holistic approach to the services and resources provided through this program, we help guide, support and develop the mental, physical and emotional health of athletes. Athlete Wellbeing has been widely recognised as essential to the fostering of healthy, well-rounded athletes in today’s challenging sporting environment.

We say well-rounded, because there is more to an athlete than just the physical preparation, abilities, and performance.

To the detriment of our athletes, we have been forgetting this.

The sports environment can be tough. We hear the story regularly today; our athletes are struggling with confidence, they don’t know how to perform at their best during games, they don’t handle feedback well, they can’t help but hold themselves back in fear.

Sport has become a source of overwhelming stress and anxiety, where once it brought joy, freedom, and empowerment.

These statistics paint a concerning picture:

  • 1 in 3 young athletes suffering from depression and anxiety, compared to 1 in 5 Australians in the general community.
  • Burn-out rates are high, with athletes reporting higher rates of psychological distress than the community. (44% in athletes, 29% in community).
  • Mental health help seeking behaviours are low, with the stigma associated with mental health within sports being the biggest barrier for athletes.
  • For female athletes, the results are even more concerning. Females reported higher psychological distress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and body dissatisfaction than males.
  • On top of this, compared to able-bodied athletes, para-athletes reported even higher levels of psychological distress.

  *Stats from AIS

It’s clear that it is well and truly time that the wellbeing of our athletes prioritised, practiced and embraced.

 

What does it offer

Athlete Wellbeing Providers offer support and guidance for athletes as they navigate the many transition points along basketball pathways, empowering them to be their best in all areas of their lives. Effective delivery of this requires deep understandings both of an athlete’s individual needs and the sporting environment in which they operate. Athlete Wellbeing also relies on a cultural foundation that ensures any athlete’s experience at the organisation is positive, supportive, empowering and enriching.

 

About the Facilitator- Nat Burton

Athlete Wellbeing is run by former Olympiian, World Championships representative,  WNBL player, NBL1 West player and current Lynx Assistant Coach Natalie Burton.

My approach is based on my own experience navigating the pathways of basketball from U12 domestic to WABL to NBL1, Division 1 College, WNBL, Europe, and playing for Australia at a World Championships and 2016 Rio Olympics. On top of my lived experience I am an Assistant Coach for the Perth Lynx, I have a degree in Finance and Business, a Cert IV in Career Counselling and 2 years’ experience of mentoring in my Enriched Athletes business.

I’ve been there myself, struggling along the pathways these athletes are currently navigating, pushing through the many ups and downs of playing sport at all levels. I’ve seen the lack of support for our athlete’s wellbeing, and experienced how harmful that can be, and I want to share what I learnt along the way and support and guide today’s athletes.

When we realise that what we struggle with and learn to navigate on the court actually gives us the skills to handle life’s ups and downs OFF the court, then it becomes more than just a game, more than just about winning.

No matter what level we playing are in, looking after our wellbeing will shape the experience we have in our sport and therefore affect our wellbeing in every area of our lives. 

 

Please note: In 2022 are rolling out our Athlete Wellbeing Program with our Championship and Div 2 teams in Under 12, 14 and 16 age groups.

For more information please contact: natalie@enrichedathletes.com