Naomi Osaka and Our False Sense of Athlete Mental Health: She’s Not Alone in Her Struggles

The French Open and Grand Slam Media Requirements

I am still thunder struck by the absolute density of the French Open Tennis Tournament’s fining Ms. Osaka $15,000 for failure to appear before the media. And, add to this fine, there was the accompanying threat from the other upcoming Major tournaments that she would be “defaulted” from participation for failing to do needed media events. And, it appears these decisions were swift. She is the highest paid women’s athlete in the world.

Pause for a moment and reflect on a myriad of “why” questions. “Why” are media appearances so important at the Grand Slams (and other tournaments)? “Why is Ms. Osaka refusing to appear before the media?” “Why is there no quality conversation before, during and after tournaments about athlete mental health in ways that avoid these types of draconian approaches?” Punishment seems to be the watchword for the “elites” among tennis tournament organizers.

And, as if this were all not enough, the disingenuous JOINT language of the organizers of the four Majors in tennis left me flabbergasted. I quote it here to avoid any inference that I have doctored the language for emphasis. “The mental health of players competing in our tournaments and on the Tours is of the utmost importance to the Grand Slams.” They actually wrote the words and then had the mismatch between the words and the deeds.

What did Ms. Osaka and Other Players Say About this Situation?

First, Ms. Osaka withdrew from the French Open. She indicated that she had suffered from mental health issues like depression. She made her position clearer, disclosing more than most public and private figures disclose. Media events put her under stress and made her anxious. She felt demeaned, and she had for years, by the questions she was asked, particularly when she lost. Stated another way, she doesn’t have the “thick skin” that some individuals have when attached verbally by others. Other tennis players expressed support and sympathy, recognizing that not everyone reacts the same way to being “under the lights.”

Don’t I know from first hand experience. When I was a college president, people would say the most horrible things to my face and behind my back. They sent mean spirited letters and made phone calls filled with animus. My then Board Chair would say: it isn’t personal; it’s the role you are in. And he’d add: “Are you having fun yet?”

Well, even though I intellectually get that the nastiness is not personal, it is hard not to take it personally. The verbal and written attacks — even when expressed by those who are angry or imbalanced or insecure or plain rude and disrespectful — are not easy to accept. Think about the comments as if they were darts. They sting. And, for the record, microaggressions — which many seems to feel are just minor intrusions in a person’s life — hurt. And that old adage: “Sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you” is just plain wrong.

For an article explaining this, see: https://karengrossedu.medium.com/sticks-and-stones-a-passe-saying-4ca9402c3ea1.

We Demean the Impact of Words and We Ignore Mental Wellness

There are two (or more) pieces working together and educators know this well. We often assume we can say anything to someone (oft-times in the guise of constructive criticism) and assume that they will take the words in the spirit in which they were ostensibly meant: helpfulness. And, at the same time, we homogenize our students/athletes and assume that they will all feel and respond the same way. We assume that everyone in positions of power can just “take-it,” the theory being that if you are that successful at whatever, you must be able to withstand criticism.

Really?

One of the gaps here is that we don’t assess or care much about the mental health of anyone. Athletes, students, teachers, artists, authors, politicians, actors, business people, law enforcement officers, military officers, bus drivers, pilots…..We assume for the most part that they “have it together,” as if their work or profession is proof positive of mental wellness.

Seriously.

But, one can be a very successful athlete and struggle mentally. Think about the plethora of sports psychologists. Think about players who get the yips, defined as a sudden and unexplained inability to do their sport as they did before. It is frightening and requires, at least usually, intervention from a psychologist.

And, if we move to the mental wellness of our population as a whole, we see lots of need among a myriad of populations, needs that are increasing almost daily. With the Pandemic and the rise in family dysfunction and the trauma of social distancing, racial and ethnic discrimination, political upheaval and a riot at the Capital along with death and illness and food scarcity and joblessness, mental wellbeing is being challenged. And we are not dedicating enough resources (do we have them?) to helping those in need.

To be sure, it starts with recognizing — which the Grand Slam tournament organizers are ignoring in deeds (not perhaps words) — that mental wellness is critically important and it should not be stigmatized and it needs to be addressed.

Schools: Pause Please and Help Students and Educators

We are set to reopen schools in Fall 2021, and we are paying lots of attention to the physical wellness of our students. We are, unfortunately, not paying enough attention to the mental wellbeing of students, educators, parents, food service workers, maintenance workers, bus drivers and para-professionals.

In a forthcoming webinar (in addition to others I have given in the past), I have raised the issue of the need to focus on mental wellbeing when school restarts. And that work has to begin now — as in today. We can’t suddenly reflect on this when the door reopen. We need to become trauma responsive in our culture, our pedagogy, our approaches.

For an upcoming webinar (free) on June 19th from 9 — noon est. on just this topic with four panelists, see: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScG2xUZT3mkcyyWGrJzDvXbxqmIS0utsInPx6VKiDOxPHrK4w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0.

Ms. Osaka Deserves Our Thanks and then Some

Naomi Osaka is struggling with her mental wellness. She is not alone. By sharing her situation so publicly, by acting in ways that support her mental health, she is sending a powerful message. And it is not a message just to athletes and the tennis elite. She is sending a message to us all. Mental wellness matters. Taking care of one’s mental wellbeing matters. Being open about the need for help matters and it is a sign of enormous strength not weakness to ask for help.

And, Ms. Osaka is making another critical point: money doesn’t solve mental wellness. Fame doesn’t either. Mental wellbeing is something we can all strive for whatever our gender, our race, our ethnicity, our employment, our family situation, our age. Think about that. Think about the courage it takes to be taken seriously. Think about treating others well. Think about the power of words. Think about how we can help ourselves and others.

Thank you Ms. Osaka. You deserve our praise, not our derision. Brava. And take care of yourself.