Being a professional athlete is physically demanding, but the constant pressure of being the best at the highest level can also be mentally taxing, with the latter still being overlooked.

That鈥檚 according to Breanne Nicholas, who鈥檇 be lying if she said she hasn鈥檛 gone through low times during her career. The co-captain of Canada鈥檚 women鈥檚 rugby sevens team says athletes of their caliber have been known to put on a brave face for the field even if they weren鈥檛 where they needed to be mentally that day.

鈥淪ometimes you feel like 鈥極h I don鈥檛 want to bring this to the team or the training environment so you either bottle it in or seek help elsewhere,鈥� Nicholas said.

As high-level performers, they鈥檙e also bound to go through injuries eventually and the impacts of those sometimes months-long recoveries on an athlete鈥檚 mental state can be worse than the physical toll, she said.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e like 鈥榃ell if I鈥檓 not performing, if I鈥檓 not doing what I鈥檓 meant to do then, what鈥檚 my purpose?鈥欌��

It鈥檚 why the sevens squad has put a focus on mental health as Nicholas said they鈥檝e created a freeness to talk more openly about those issues.

鈥淎t the end of the day, we are people first.鈥�

Nicholas and women鈥檚 sevens head coach Jack Hanratty are mental health ambassadors for the Coaching Association of Canada鈥檚 new Sport Resource Hub, which aims to equip coaches across the country with mental health literacy. The Public Health Agency of Canada-funded hub looks to serve all levels of sport as many return to playing fields amid a waning pandemic that was tough on people鈥檚 mental health.

For a long time, Hanratty said the norm in sports was athletes needed 鈥渕ental toughness鈥� to succeed. He hopes to shift to a system that fosters his athletes鈥� competitive thirst alongside and through mental wellness.

His interest in mental health first-aid derived from the days he was coaching players ranging from those in their mid-teens to their early twenties.

鈥淵ou basically see the ups and downs and we started to ask the question of 鈥榟ow you doing and can we help?鈥欌�� Hanratty said. 鈥淲e noticed at the time that a lot of our players were actually answering 鈥榊eah I鈥檓 actually not doing great.鈥欌��

The coaching staff then turned to counsellors and mental health associations across Canada to learn more about how to ask if someone is okay, how to process that information and what to do with it. With his team Canada group, Hanratty now runs check-ins with players at the start and end of every week, along with having the team do a morning wellness exercise.

The multi-faceted approach looks to enable a safe point of contact for players to flag issues whether or not they鈥檙e comfortable with talking face-to-face. Hanratty said reaching out for help is an incredibly daunting and intimidating thing for athletes, so he hopes the new national mental health hub will give coaches the right resources for when players look to confide in them.

鈥淩ecently athletes have said just knowing that information is being looked at, talked about and acted upon is just a safe space in itself,鈥� the rugby coach said.

The hub will also provide resources for coaches taking on the extra strain of trying to support athletes.

鈥�(It鈥檚 important to do) a little checklist about how am I the individual feeling myself and have I put myself into a good mindset to deliver that safe environment that we strive to have everyday,鈥� Hanratty said.

The conversation around mental health in sports has recently hit the small screen as it鈥檚 a driving theme of the Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso.

鈥淲e all know someone or have been that someone ourselves, actually, that鈥檚 struggled, that鈥檚 felt isolated, that鈥檚 felt anxious, that鈥檚 felt alone,鈥� the show鈥檚 star Jason Sudeikis said during a visit to the White House this week. 鈥淚t鈥檚 actually one of the many things that鈥�we all have in common as human beings and that means it鈥檚 something we can all, and should, talk about with one another.鈥�

A big theme of the show is checking in with neighbours, coworkers, friends or family to ask how they鈥檙e doing, the actor who plays a pro soccer coach continued.

鈥淲hile it鈥檚 easier said than done, we also have to know that we shouldn鈥檛 be afraid to ask for help ourselves. And that does take a lot, especially when it鈥檚 something that does have such a negative stigma.鈥�

Nicholas hopes to stomp out that stigma in sport and spread awareness about mental health. While nothing else matters once they鈥檙e on the field, bottling stuff up eventually catches up with players but they don鈥檛 need to carry that burden, the rugby player said.

鈥淚f we can get it to not be at that point then that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e shooting for.鈥�

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