MLS and Fifa's Approach to Mental Health

It’s almost time for the World Cup; soccer fans everywhere are preparing for a month of heart-stopping games. FIFA, the international circuit, organizes a tournament each year for athletes to gather and test their skills against fierce competition. For American fans, this event is the icing on the cake this year because Major League Soccer (MLS), the American branch, has its regular season from February to October and the World Cup starts the following month.

The pressure is on and during these times it’s more important than ever to take a look under the hood and check in with players. Soccer has a uniquely burdensome layer, especially for people in the MLS who have come from other countries.

Soccer is the most diverse sport there is: FIFA hosts players from over 190 countries and the MLS hosts players from around 76. This makes for a melting pot of cultures and identities. On the other hand, young athletes who immigrated may find that the biggest challenge they face isn’t on the field — it's adjusting to their new lifestyle and accepting what they have left behind to follow their dreams.

Several of these players come from impoverished and wartorn places. A number of players who join the clubs have no way to return home and, in some cases, they don't even have a way to contact their families. Their support system is thousands of miles away and they are forced to adjust to an American lifestyle alone. Because of this, players often suffer feelings of isolation, anxiety, and homesickness, which can take a huge toll on their mental health over time.

Many players in similar situations have attempted to bridge the gap by creating a makeshift network among those from the same place, where a great emphasis is placed on family, tradition, and unity. Dominique Badji, a Sengalise forward for FC Cincinnati, recounts the support he received from older African members of the club upon joining the league: “If it’s the first time you’ve met them or [they’re] a really close friend of yours, the first question is always ‘how’s the family?’ That’s always the way it’s been since I set foot in this league.”

Even players who were born and raised in the U.S. can cite mental health struggles. One prominent public example is Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy, who chose to retire following a public battle with depression that caused him to take several hiatuses and ultimately feel dissatisfied with his career.

The Ontario native explains the narrative surrounding mental health in the league and it’s a stereotype we’ve all heard before. In a 2013 press conference, he said: “We have a sort of stigma that being in a difficult mental place is not acceptable. We should 'pull ourselves up by the bootstraps' and 'fight through it,' and all this, and it's a little peculiar to me, that whole idea, that if someone's physically hurt, we're OK with letting them take the time they need to come back, but if someone's in a difficult time mentally, we're not OK with letting them take the time they need to come back.” Years later, Landon Donovan is managing a team of his own and knows there is a critical need for more support — and more compassion — for the players.

Though these attitudes and pressures still remain today. In some ways, the MLS has stepped up in recent years and is taking a more proactive approach to handling players' mental health. Currently, they have access to a 24-hour hotline to speak to a counselor in times of need. CF Montreal was one of the first teams to bring a mental health specialist onto their roster in 2015. As of the end of 2021, only about half of the twenty-six teams in the league have done the same.

Players who are struggling are often benched or ignored by coaches for a few weeks. Donovan says that during those times its more important than ever to dig in and find the root of those struggles. He also says treating physical and mental health as two halves of the same whole may be the way to ensure no player is overlooked and to engrain positive mental health as part of the culture.

Anna S. Lau, a professor of clinical psychology at UCLA, weighed in on the mental health crisis in the MLS when she said, “There’s a real need to pay attention to that emotional climate in the club. We need to be very proactive: What can we do to promote good mental health and not just make space for it when people are having mental health challenges?”

Dr. Lau asks an important question that many professional leagues have yet to find the answer to. The MLS has a long way to go to bolster emotional wellness and address the mental health crisis that plagues the sports world. Many of our specialists here at bareWell have been involved with soccer, or have family members who are, so needless to say we are fans of the game. We want to help uplift the community and pave the way using information and support. It’s our hope that young athletes who enter the league can have a positive experience, and that the ongoing struggles of experienced athletes can be met with the respect and care they deserve.