Fernando Romero Nuñez Mirko Saric was one of Argentine football’s biggest prospects in the late 1990s. He was a regular in San Lorenzo’s starting lineup and reportedly had offers from football giants like Real Madrid. Behind the flashy highlights, however, his personal life was spiraling. He was only 21 when he was found dead by suicide on April 4, 2000.
It’s been 25 years since Saric’s tragic death put the mental health of athletes in the spotlight in Argentina. The tragedy helped remove some of the taboo surrounding the issue, and the results are visible. Earlier this year, Argentine tennis player Federico Gómez admitted having had “suicidal thoughts.” Sport shooter Fernanda Russo confessed to dealing with similar issues after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Former football star Gonzalo Higuaín and ex top-ten tennis player Juan Martín del Potro have also been open about their struggles.
Despite these advances, however, there continue to be hurdles to overcome. Experts say that athletes are still reluctant at times to show vulnerability for fear of falling out of coaches’ favor. But the main issue remains getting clubs fully on board in turning mental healthcare into an institutional concern and providing constant funding.
Working on the ground
Working on the ground is key for sports psychologists to get to know players and coaches and understand their needs. Just like mental health professionals everywhere, they help athletes create healthy mental health habits and catch potential issues before they snowball. Their scope, however, has expanded from what it was initially.
“Psychologists nowadays aren’t just looking at those who are struggling but at all athletes,” sports psychologist Claudia Fernández told the Herald. She explained that they focus on everything from sports performance and goal-setting all the way to emotional regulation and self-esteem.
The work of coaches is also key.
“They can be like an older brother to each kid, so they have to handle each player in their own way,” said Mariano Marcos, the head of youth teams for the Argentina Basketball Confederation (CAB for its Spanish initials).
In addition to the day-to-day work, psychologists also focus on those key moments in an athlete’s career that can prove challenging. Players who suffer big injuries often have support through the recovery process. The same goes for those on the verge of retirement, especially the ones who have not had elite careers.
“We’re always alert to players who might not make it to the first team,” said sports psychologist Agustín Lavagnino, who works with Sarmiento de Junín. “We help them to plan things for after their careers, exploring other lines of work they could take and focusing on their mental health.”
Openness matters, but it’s not enough
Perhaps the most high-profile athlete to speak about this in recent years has been 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. The star goalkeeper has spoken candidly about how his therapist was a big part of his success during that tournament. The fact that it made headlines across most of Argentina’s main news outlets evidences that there is a certain level of stigma that remains.
“Players don’t want to show they’re having problems, because if they do, maybe people will say they’re not focused on the sport; maybe the coach won’t take a chance on them,” Fernández said, adding that hearing athletes talk about this helps others reach out.
Getting famous players to openly talk about mental health is the first step. In order to be able to monitor and intervene, however, mental health experts need to be employed by clubs and federations in order to understand the inner workings of each institution and gain players’ trust.
Many times, this is easier said than done.
While organizations like the CAB are always looking for ways to improve, Marcos admits the harsh financial reality of Argentine pro-sports means that the funding takes a back seat to more pressing demands like salaries or keeping the lights on.
“We can’t always follow up with players like we should because there’s no money,” said Marcos. “When things are done out of goodwill, it’s hard to keep it up.”
It becomes even harder the lower down you go in the ranks. Constant changes in staff that are working either pro bono or for a low-paying scholarship make it difficult to keep up with each player individually.
“The only way to improve is with more funding,” said Marcos.
Getting club directors on board is another key stepping stone. Lavagnino says that many times they are too focused on results or membership figures and appear to brush off the importance of mental health, proper nutrition, and other intangibles.
“They have to educate themselves, because it’s a team effort,” he said. “You need them to move things forward.”