Canadian athletic coaches now have a resource to help them better support their athletes with mental health issues.

• Also read: Humiliating initiations: when aimed at vulnerability

• Also read: We need a Quebec model for sustainable health

On Monday, the Coaching Association of Canada launched a Mental Health and Sport Resource Portal with the goal of promoting improved mental health literacy nationwide.

Specifically, Maple Leaf Coaches have extensive content on this topic and online training modules available.

Snowboarder and three-time Olympic champion Maxence Parrot didn’t hesitate for a second when asked to promote this new initiative.

“Through three Olympics, multiple failures, gold medals and cancer, I’ve faced multiple challenges and I recognize the importance of good mental health,” said Parrot.

The 28-year-old athlete said he’s fortunate to have the likes of Jean-François Ménard, a high-performance mental preparation advisor.

“It has made a huge difference in my performances and my personal life. I was very fortunate to have coaches, including JF, who knew how to support me.

“Now every athlete in the country will have this opportunity! There are options for a coach who doesn’t know what to do when one of their athletes is suffering from a mental health issue and we welcome that.

Go to the “next level”

Ménard, who was also present during the interview with Parrot, made it clear that this new resource will also be used by coaches to better manage their own mental health.

“We’ve been talking about raising awareness of mental health among athletes for years. I think we did a great job there and saw the results. It was natural to do the same with the coaches,” he said.

“They are also going through a lot of pressure and fear. […] It is not easy. They have a leadership and management function. Sometimes they may feel that they don’t have the right to show weaknesses and are forced to have an answer for everything,” added the man who has notably accompanied athletes during the last four Olympics. .

“If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of others!”

Ménard is also convinced that such mentoring of coaches will allow the Maple Leaf to achieve better results in competition.

“By implementing this portal, Canada is poised to take it to the next level. I think it can give us a competitive edge in the sports world.”