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AFA psychologist: 'You can be the best in the world, but if you don't play as a team, the opponent will beat you'
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

AFA psychologist: 'You can be the best in the world, but if you don't play as a team, the opponent will beat you'

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Sources not specified Context piece
  • Juan Manuel Brindisi, a psychologist for the Argentine Football Association (AFA), emphasizes the importance of mental health support for elite athletes beyond their performance on the field.
  • He notes that athletes face pressures from social media, critics, and personal issues, which impact their overall well-being.
  • Brindisi warns that the constant praise on social media can be more dangerous than criticism, as it can create an idealized self-image that disconnects athletes from reality.

Juan Manuel Brindisi, a psychologist for the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and a specialist in high-performance sports, stresses that the mental well-being of elite athletes extends far beyond their performance during games. He highlights that the AFA recognized years ago the necessity of providing therapeutic support to these individuals, acknowledging that their struggles are not confined to the pitch.

Performance is one part of the job, but only one part. With the players, we work on the entire dimension of subjectivity: what happens to them on and off the field. Anxieties, depressions, tensions that become impossible to sustain, but also successes that are not processed and cause someone to lose their footing with reality.

— Juan Manuel BrindisiDescribing the scope of his work with elite athletes.

Brindisi explained that his work with players encompasses their entire subjective experience, addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, and overwhelming tensions. He also deals with the challenges of processing success, family problems, relationship conflicts, and adapting to new environments when transferring clubs. "A sportsperson's mental health does not begin or end with the whistle," Brindisi stated, underscoring the holistic approach to athlete care.

A sportsperson's mental health does not begin or end with the whistle.

— Juan Manuel BrindisiEmphasizing the continuous nature of mental health support for athletes.

The psychologist identified social media as a significant factor influencing athletes, particularly younger ones. While traditional criticism came from media and fans, social media offers constant, immediate feedback. However, Brindisi cautioned that the true danger of social media lies not in criticism, but in excessive praise. He explained that athletes can become overly attached to an idealized self-image presented online, which can lead to a "big drop" when faced with criticism or a disconnect from reality.

What we work with footballers is something that often surprises: the real danger of social media is not criticism, it is praise. The cycle of engagement begins when you go looking there for who you are, when that mirror reflects an ideal image of yourself and you fall in love with it.

— Juan Manuel BrindisiExplaining the paradoxical danger of positive reinforcement on social media for athletes.

To counteract this, Brindisi advises athletes to ground themselves in their personal journey and passion for the sport. "We tell them: 'You are not defined by what a screen says. What brought you here was your desire, your work, your process, your love for football.'" he said. He emphasizes that true self-worth comes from internal motivation and dedication, not external validation from online platforms.

We tell them: 'You are not defined by what a screen says. What brought you here was your desire, your work, your process, your love for football.'

— Juan Manuel BrindisiAdvising athletes on maintaining self-worth independent of social media.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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