The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games’ thought-provoking World Conference saw a grand opening from Down Under on Thursday, 17 July at Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, an events centre forged into an old, industrial site in Bochum.
Key-note speakers dove into physical and mental health on day one, including Dr. Rosemary Purcell, an Australian professor from the University of Melbourne, who panned through research to open discussion on the effects of elite sport on young people.
It’s an environmental issue – not a personal one
Dr. Purcell believes rising rates of mental ill-health in teenagers, including athletes, is not the fault of the victim.
“There can be a bit of a tendency to look at (an) athlete that’s experiencing mental health problems as almost being the problem themselves, but we know that there are a lot of factors in athlete environments that contribute to their mental health as well.”
The professor provided context. “So in the immediate environment, that can be things like their relationship with their coach, their teammates, their parents.”
She pointed out all of those people can be influential.
Light at the end of the sporting tunnel
Dr. Purcell cited many research papers when suggesting that young elite athletes are more susceptible to mental health issues, including depression and burnout.
However, she went through a Swedish study that found members of that same group are either less susceptible to mental health issues, or just report fewer symptoms than their peers outside of high-performance sport.
“(It’s) an interesting and perhaps hopeful finding. I would temper that, though, by saying we still do need more studies to really understand this, to do some more direct comparisons and to understand why is this the case?”
The lecturer said clinicians aren’t surprised by these results, that say young athletes can be uplifted by the sense of meaning and purpose their sport gives.
As a next step, Dr. Purcell believes sporting organisations, coaches and the like must focus on how they nurture their young sporting hopefuls.
“We need that cultural shift from being harvesters, to being farmers. We need to grow and develop our talent.”
Working with Cricket Australia, she has seen hundreds of athletes through their pathway systems.
She said it’s important for leaders, whether a coach, parent or role model, to take responsibility to protect the mental health of young athletes – valuing them as humans, not just a contracted, tradable commodity.
The discussion was especially relevant to Rhine-Ruhr 2025, where student-athletes range from 18 to 25 years old.
Other topics discussed on day one of the FISU World Conference included: using politics to combat obesity, dealing with female hormonal issues in sporting environments, a holistic view on stress and pressure in sport, as well as using humour to deal with athletic performance anxiety.
The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games take place from 16-27 July. Watch all the competitions live on fisu.tv. Click on the link to find the full schedule.
Written by Coby Moratti, FISU Young Reporter, New Zealand
The Young Reporters Programme exemplifies FISU’s commitment to more than sports competitions. At every FISU World University Games, a group of talented aspiring sports journalists are chosen to cover the competition.
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