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January 26, 2024
From January 13th to the 15th, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Common Goal held a “first-of-its-kind mental health retreat” in San Diego, California with professional players from across the league. It was the first event of “Create the Space,” an athlete-led program created to tackle mental health issues in football and society.
Common Goal is a movement to unite the global football community to tackle society’s greatest challenges. The Create the Space program encompasses a collective of leading players from across the world who have come together to ensure that football – at all levels – is equipped with the knowledge, skills and resources to understand prevent, and deal with mental health issues. As the collective states on its website, “at the grassroots and within communities, football has proven to be a space where vulnerable young people have found a place on the pitch and increasingly, a place in society, playing a crucial role in supporting their mental wellbeing.”
At the retreat 20 football players from each NWSL club, 25 youth coaches and managers got together to talk about how their mental health is affected both professionally and personally. Among many topics included discussions on sexual abuse, self-harm and grief. But the main objective was to remind everyone that they weren’t alone in their journeys.
That was the message that the event’s creator, Naomi Girma, wanted to convey. Girma, U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) and San Diego Wave defender, was motivated to work on this initiative after losing her best friend and teammate to suicide. “I was really wanting to do something in her honor, something I thought could have helped a younger Katie. I didn’t want anyone else’s family, friends, or community to have to go through something like this,” she told The Guardian.
Ahead of the retreat she shared on her Instagram the message: “Last year I started on a journey to help reshape the relationship between mental health and soccer. I’m proud to say that it’s now coming to life. So proud of our soccer communities’ commitment to make sure mental health is taken seriously at all levels of the game. Introducing The Create the Space Retreat.
Alongside Girma, Common Goal USA’s Executive Director, Lilli Barrett-O’Keefe, and E-motion, a community-based counseling group specializing in loss, retirement and mourning, collaborated on a curriculum that would allow everyone to explore different methods to express themselves. For example, participants were given movement therapy and somatic yoga practices.
As Barrett-O’Keefe stated, “We did not want to offer just one prescribed way of doing things. It was about showing the players various different ways and seeing what works for them.”
Becky Sauerbrunn, Portland Thorns FC defender and USWNT captain, who was initially hesitant to express herself, says the sense of community has allowed her to experience and share her vulnerabilities with her teammates.
“It’s been completely consensual. If you want to share, you can share. Nothing is forced,” she stated. “Going into this retreat, what I was really hoping to get from it is that I wouldn’t have to feel so curated in my thoughts and be so diplomatic that I could really speak to the feelings in my soul, and I’ve really been able to do that here.”
Echoing that same sentiment, Gotham FC goalkeeper Michelle Betos said, “I already know I’m walking away better, more equipped and lighter than when I walked in.”
The retreat was also made possible by Founding Partner FOX Sports, Fox Corporation and BetterHelp, with support from Women in Soccer.
There are plans to expand the event to include more opportunities to continue the conversation around mental wellbeing. Ideas include hosting webinars and workshops for individuals who were unable to attend the retreat and continuing to engage with the 45 attendees throughout the year.
Sources: Common Goal, The Guardian
Photos: Common Goal
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