The Working Mind Sports

The Working Mind (TWM) Sports is an evidence-based mental health training program designed to address and promote mental health amongst athletes and coaches. This is an adaptation of The Working Mind. 

TWM Sports objectives

• Recognize and support your own mental health and well-being as well as the mental health and well-being of others around you
• Enable the full productivity of yourself and others
• Foster an environment that is respectful and inclusive of everyone including those with mental health problems
• Encourage people to seek help for mental health problems

Three TWM Sports courses are available:

1. Athlete (4 hours)
2. Coach (8 hours)
3. Train the Trainer (5 days)

Each TWM Sports course includes scenario-based practical applications and custom videos of people with lived experience of mental illness, participant reference guides, and related handouts.

1. Athlete (4 hours)

To enable their full productivity, athletes must have an understanding of their own mental health as well as the mental health and well-being of others around them. This course focuses on providing athletes with the tools and skills to increase their resiliency skills when dealing with an adverse situation, as well as the ability to support teammates.

Modules:

1. Mental Health and Illness
2. Stigma and Discrimination
3. The Mental Health Continuum
4. Self-care
5. Creating a Supportive Community

2. Coach (8 hours)

Research reveals that coaches fulfill multiple roles as a motivator, counsellor, advisor, and parental substitutes which entails considerable emotional labour. Coaches have long, non-traditional, and irregular working times (e.g., morning and night practices, weekends) and extensive travel (Dixon & Bruening, 2005).

For all of the above reasons, coaches must have the ability to take care of the mental health and well-being of their athletes, as well as themselves. This course focuses on giving coaches the tools to do so.

Modules:

1. Mental Health and Illness
2. Stigma and Discrimination
3. The Mental Health Continuum
4. Self-care
5. What You Can Do: Shield, Sense and Support
6. Special Considerations
7. Practical Application

3. Train-The-Trainer (5 days)

TWM Sports Train the Trainer gives participants the knowledge, skills, and certification to facilitate TWM athlete and coach courses. It is designed for sport organizations/associations looking to deliver meaningful and cost-effective mental health training to their members.

Why have a trainer in your organization?

• It’s cost-effective.
• It helps demonstrate a meaningful commitment to supporting mental health in the sports community
• It’s efficient: with in-house trainers, courses can be rolled out when it suits your organization.
• Trainers are informed about the local resources available to your athletes and coaches

Testimonials

“Personally I found the content and delivery of the workshop extremely valuable. I have already started to implement the strategies and methods into my daily routine and will begin steps with my athletes today. The format of the workshop was really effective. Having the time to get to know the other coaches in both formal and informal sessions was very valuable to me.”

Canadian High-Performance Coach

"I can now recognize the signs of mental health difficulties in myself and my family, and have tools to understand mental health - what I should practice for myself and how I can support others."
Course Participant