The Olympics and the World Cup. People fantasize about these two events. They are the pinnacle of sports, as it happens once in four years. For the athletes, however, it could be a daunting task to represent their countries. One slight mistake could make them a meme or regress a player’s career. Hence, keeping mental health in check remains critical, as Emily Fox shared her experiences after the grueling fixture list that comes with it.

In an interview with Arsenal Media, Fox mentioned how she predicted the fixture list could trouble her mental health. She stated, “The Olympics was crazy and amazing in both ways. Playing every three days was a lot, but again, it makes it more special in terms of just how much work and how much effort we put in to get the win and to get the gold medal. In terms of the short turnaround, I knew it was coming so I’ve been preparing for it.”

Most soccer clubs or any sports teams, for that matter, hire mental health coaches to keep a check on the player. Just like physios take care of a player’s body, mental health coaches assist the players in addressing their concerns related to pressure, anxiety, or other mental health issues. And another cause of concern is the fixture list. Almost all players go through a rigorous season of 38-50 games, in a season. That’s a lot! It’s not easy to keep playing these matches and expect to perform day in and day out. Although all these fixtures aid revenue generation, player welfare must be in place to tackle these challenges.

It’s something players use and support extensively days unlike the golden 90s era, where social media didn’t prevail. In a way, when fans complain about social media criticisms, athletes have used it as a platform to kick-start their careers and gain support. Think of Dele Alli as an example as fans now know what caused his career to dip. In all fairness, Emily Fox prepared herself to face the wrath of finishing the Olympics.

She continued, “At Arsenal, with the girls and the staff, I know I can communicate to them how I feel. We have a good program in terms of my lead into the season. I think throughout the season we’re going to make sure that I’m being managed and all of us are working in tandem together to make that work so I can play, but also be healthy and be good to go.”

Emily Fox remains an example for all athletes!

As she foresaw the situation well beforehand, it’s a perfect example for most athletes. Most times, high-performance levels and pressure can drain an athlete mentally. Another example we can think of is Michael Phelps. Even though he won 23 Olympic gold medals, he faced mental health issues after every Olympic Games. It can eat you inside while you remain in a cocoon. But Phelps came out and became a prominent advocate of fighting mental health and preparing your mind, body, and soul.

Yes, we hope athletes like Emily Fox and others can keep a check on their mental health for a better tomorrow. Hopefully, the fixture lists can have some leeways for player welfare as well.