Origins of the project

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As a major sporting fan I began to notice some concerning issues in sports news coverage around 15 years ago. At first it was something I spotted and tracked ad hoc, but since then the reporting of mental health issues as reasons for professional players and athletes not doing their 'day jobs' (i.e. training and playing) has become far more prominent in the back pages.

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Early on two cases convinced me that this was an area in need of research. These were the stories of Marcus Trescothick and Robert Enke.  

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In the case of the cricketer Marcus Trescothick (England and Somerset's superb opening batsmen) dealing with what was later diagnosed as depression and anxiety attacks while on International tours of India and later in Australia resulted in him retiring from England duty in 2006. The media rumour mill surrounding his sudden departures caused Trescothick and his family immense pain, as recounted in his 2008 autobiography. Away from the spotlight Trescothick continued to play cricket for his county until the end of the 2019 season.

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The suicide of then Germany international goalkeeper Robert Enke in November 2009 shocked the sporting world. The impact of this tragic incident was made more intense and deeply felt as it seemed to have come out of nowhere with Enke seemingly at the top of his game. Publicly, at least, Enke's mental health struggles were unknown prior to his death. The extent of his prolonged clinical depression was only revealed when Roland Reng's biography of the late footballer was released in 2011, the title of which captured the essence of the text: A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke. Enke had been reluctant to seek professional help and his fear of stigma meant that he resisted communicating the issues to the coaching and medical staff at his various European professional clubs. Sadly, the pressure of a high profile professional football career and the perceived judgement meant Enke felt desperate and alone, with tragic consequences.

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These are not simple stories. They are heart-breaking, saddening and sometimes tragic stories. They are also deeply personal.

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Sport has the power to transform lives in profound ways, not always for the benefit of a player's health and well being. Players personal relationships and family lives are not immune from these consequences. Creating proper support mechanisms is an on-going process. Media ethics and reporting on mental health continues to be a concern. 

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