"We are looking forward to the challenge": Kennedy, Ireland's team psychologist

A short while ago, Ireland announced their funding for their women's cricket team. In it, they also included a huge support system that will keep the team fit mentally- the services of a sports psychologist. Anne Marie Kennedy, a consultant sports psychologist, who started working with Cricket Ireland in 2017, has since supported the National Youth Academy, the Women’s Senior International Team and the Men’s Senior International Team.



Kennedy will be travelling with Ireland's women team to the Caribbean for the World Twenty-20 to ensure the team copes well with the mental pressure that comes along with participating on the world stage at a landmark tournament. When describing her role for the tournament while talking to Cricket Ireland, she said, “I will be travelling with the team to Guyana in a supportive capacity, reinforcing all the hard work and preparation we have put in over the past few months. Along with the other coaches, I’ll be ensuring the players adjust to the environment and deal with the pressures that competing at this high level requires.”

 “We are going there to compete. We have set our goals and objectives of what we want to achieve. Ultimately we are looking to perform to the best of our ability. We are very much looking forward to the challenge and no matter what the outcome, the journey will continue for this hard-working, ambitious and driven team.”

She emphasized upon the need for sports psychologists and talked about how their work was often misunderstood, saying, "Unfortunately the perception out there among athletes is that you only go to a sport psychologist ‘if there’s something wrong with you’ or when things are going bad. There is still a huge stigma around working with a sport psychologist among not only athletes but some coaches too.”

“The sport psychologist is hired to enhance performance through the use of various mental strategies, such as visualisation, self-talk and relaxation techniques to help athletes overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential. We help athletes at all levels to develop coping strategies to deal with competition pressure, pressure from parents and coaches and also their own expectations.”

“We also work with athletes that experience difficulties such as getting injured, performance anxiety, dips in motivation and confidence, which can be a cause of great worry and distress for an athlete. Any work that you do with athletes must be player-centred. Their mental health and well-being will always be of paramount importance. It’s important to remember that the athlete is a person first and then an athlete.”

Kennedy asserts that mental health is just as important as physical health. According to her, "to mind your mental health, you need to:

1. sleep well,



2. exercise regularly,



3. good nutrition and stay hydrated,



4. do things that you enjoy and are passionate about,



5. manage your self-talk i.e. be your own best coach,



6. stay social, don’t isolate yourself and reach out for help if you need it,



7. be mindful, learn to use and engage conscious breathing to help keep you calm under pressure or in stressful situations.”

The importance of mental health has been brought up by many personalities in women's cricket. Renowned players such as Sarah Taylor and Kate Cross have opened up about their battle with mental illness and have encouraged many people to speak up about them. Their struggle goes to show the effects the amount of pressure and expectation on you when playing on the elite level can have you. In those times, there needs to be someone who can guide you and help you through it, which why the importance of sports psychologists should not be underestimated, nor should seeking their help be thought of as a sign of weakness. Instead, it should be encouraged.