Where there's pain, there must be support Dan Jackson
Herald Sun
May 02, 2013 JASON Collins this week became the first NBA player to publicly admit that he is gay.
In fact Collins is the first active sportsman of any of the four major US men's sports codes to come out.
In a fantastic show of support, many of the stars of the NBA, along with other prominent celebrities, have voiced their support for his honesty and courage.
It made me question whether the AFL, and more importantly society more broadly, would be as accepting if one of our athletes came out.
I'm not gay, not that it's important, and I'm not a gay rights activist, nor do I want to be. There are plenty of people doing great work in that space already. But in my role as an ambassador with the national youth mental health foundation Headspace in the past few years, I have developed a passion for supporting people to be open, confident and proud of who they are.
That includes race, religion, sexual preference, personal beliefs or even just being a "rare unit", as we footballers often so eloquently put it.
But, with Collins admitting his homosexuality, New Zealand and France recently passing marriage equality laws and myriad public figures and personalities voicing their support for gay rights, there is clearly a lot of focus on the question of "who's next?". It is not important whether there are any AFL or NRL gay players or whether they want to be public or not. The biggest issue is the strong link between people who aren't comfortable or confident to be themselves and the associated risk to their mental health.
We should be asking whether we provide our players with the best environment to be themselves, to be comfortable with who they are, to be happy and to be free from illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
I have a strong belief that the next big issue in the AFL will be centred on the mental health and wellbeing of players. Statistics from the AFL Players Association show that increasing numbers of players are seeking professional support from psychologists and psychiatrists.
Not only that, more players are needing to be medicated to help them deal with anxiety and depression, and more players are needing time away from the game during seasons to cope with stress.
And, most unfortunately, more players are retiring earlier than need be because they no longer want to deal with the pressure, stress and the associated mental health issues of being a professional AFL footballer in today's game.
AFL clubs, the AFLPA and the league itself already provide important services to players, including professional support and education.
But these services address only the consequences and not the issue. The issue being, are we as an industry and a footy-loving society being fair to our players regarding the expectations we place on them or the scrutiny we put them through?
The media and the fans ask and expect more of players, and seem less willing to forgive.
Young men, young AFL players, make mistakes on the field and off, and I'd ask the question, do we show them enough empathy?
My greatest worry is the risk that one of the more than 800 players slips through the support services on offer and takes his life in order to escape the pain he deals with daily.
You may think that is a dramatic statement, but I don't care. I'm telling you it is a real risk and if it happens, let's make sure we aren't left feeling we could have done more.
Dan Jackson is a Richmond footballer, Headspace ambassador and AFL Players Association board member
Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/where-theres-pain-there-must-be-support/story-e6frfkp9-1226633405223#ixzz2S3MqPqOV
