Where is the disability?
A sports psychologist’s perspective on improving para athletes’ performance
The year 2021 will be remembered in Indian sports history. 19 medals were won at the Tokyo Paralympics marking a double-digit haul. These athletes have traversed the most difficult paths to stand proud on the podiums.
Fighting odds with their own families, society and the system, sports’ persons make a mark for themselves. What if, adding on to all these difficulties, they are differently-abled? The whole game changes. To overcome all these odds, the para-athletes require a network of support to be both physically and mentally strong.
Building the right support system:
It all begins at home. Identifying the potential is the first step. While pursuing the interest does involve some economic backing, the huge victory at the Olympics has brought the spotlight on the need for special equipment and other specific training needs. This will in the longer run bring about better infrastructure to enable these athletes to pursue their dream.
The next major step is to identify a coach. A coach has a very important role to play and especially when the athlete is differently-abled, the coach becomes a fundamental part of their career. Research has shown that a good coach-athlete relationship helps in creating a positive atmosphere which in turn has a significant impact on the performance.
Can we become more inclusive?
Accessibility and inclusiveness are two key aspects. Access to quality sporting equipment and access to facilities have always been a problem. Several para-athletes have complained of facilities that are wheelchair inaccessible making it difficult for them to move around. This physical barrier also affects the mental health of the athlete. While the physical barrier requires better infrastructure and planning, for mental health, a close-knit support of family, friends and the coach play a great role. This makes the athlete feel in a psychologically safer place and enhances their mental state of being.
The real challenges for para athletes:
Playing a sport itself is linked to several mental health benefits and para-athletes often feel a sense of satisfaction and achievement. But this is only when things go on track. They also often feel low on self-esteem, motivation and also high on stress. Research has proved that a proper psychological intervention is necessary to help these athletes break these barriers and enhance their capabilities.
In general para-athletes have been found to have higher motivation levels than the usual athletes. This could be due to a disability that they have already won to be in that place. But this has not been an easy journey for them. For long, the society has treated people with disabilities as inferior, let alone the world, some of them face severe rejection,criticism and discrimination within their homes. This has kept them away from several sporting activities, and led to a steep dip in their confidence and feeling of security.
While physical and economic barriers are external factors, a sharp focus on the mental health of the para athletes is quintessential at this moment.
Have you worked with para-athletes in your coaching journey? What are your thoughts, let me know in the comments!