Valley Sport has partnered with Tackle Your Feelings to help upskill local level coaches’ understanding of mental health.
Tackle Your Feelings is a mental health training initiative designed for community football clubs that strives to improve the abilities and awareness of mental health by building skills to foster an environment where athletes are supported to effectively manage their emotions.
The initiative will result in community coaches from the Goulburn Valley participating in a mental health training session, delivered by local psychologists, before undertaking further online learning.
Tackle Your Feelings ambassador and current AFL senior coach, Leon Cameron, who, along with the GWS Giants staff and players, has been through the program, said it’s vital coaches at all levels have the basics to manage what is a complex issue facing many Australians.
“The program gives local footy coaches access to mental health support tools inspired by those used at the professional level,” he said.
“The main thing is to be able to understand mental health because so many people go in and out of mental health issues.
“Coaches shouldn’t be scared to ask someone how they’re going. With the different age groups we all coach you might have to ask in a different way but don’t be scared.”
Valley Sport regional representative Tristan Zito expressed his excitement about the program. “It’s an awesome project and I can’t wait to start working with local clubs to implement workshops throughout our region. Project co-ordinators Nick Walsh and Gin McInneny have done a great job at getting some highly regarded AFL ambassadors on board including Alastair Clarkson, Neville Jetta and Kara Antonio. I look forward to sharing their stories with coaches from around this area.”
Tackle Your Feelings is a joint venture between the AFL Coaches Association, AFL Players’ Association and the Zurich Foundation, with the learning based on the mental health training program delivered by the AFLPA to players, coaches and staff in the AFL industry.
The program is a six-year project, which launched in 2019 with 238 coaches from five states across the country taking part, impacting more than 1800 local players.
AFLCA CEO Mark Brayshaw said it was important for coaches at the grassroots level to understand mental health and become better equipped to support their playing group.
“From a mental health perspective, there is no difference between the player-coach relationships at the elite level than there is at grassroots level,” he said.
“The Tackle Your Feelings program will help grassroots AFL coaches by equipping them with an understanding of mental health so they can look after their players if and when they need it.”
For more information on workshops please contact Tristan 5831 8456 or tristan@valleysport.net.au
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