During the latest round of Players’ Project activations in the community, West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus and Thilo Kehrer led a workshop at the University of East London with the WHU Foundation’s Sports Coaching & Performance students, exploring the topic of mental health and wellbeing in professional sport.
Delivered in partnership with the University of East London, the students of the Foundation’s degree programme frequently engage with West Ham stars through the Players’ Project initiative, which sees players from the men’s, women’s and Academy teams dedicate their time to directly work with people from the vibrant communities of East London and Essex.
This visit provided an invaluable opportunity for aspiring coaches and performance analysts to pose questions firsthand on how professional players manage their mental health and wellbeing in the demanding environment of sports.
“I think mental health is a very important aspect for these young coaches to consider,” Kehrer explained. “In sports and any industry, successful individuals are highly focused on their mental health and wellbeing. It is critical for optimal performance.”
Reflecting on the students’ contributions to the session, Kudus noted: “I thought their questions were very insightful. You can see they are good in their field. I was impressed with the way they explored the subject of mental health.
“I hope the discussions were impactful for the students. These guys only see us a couple of times a week for the games, so it’s good to share what goes on behind the scenes in our everyday lives. Hopefully this will motivate and leave a lasting impact on them.”
Despite the focus on mental health, the students, fascinated by the technique used by the Ghanaian international in his equalising volley against Brentford just a week previously, couldn’t help but veer slightly off-topic. Their admiration for the in form attacking midfielder was palpable.
“It was interesting to listen in detail the thought process behind a goal like that,” added one student. “The technique on the volley was incredible, the way he adjusted his body with the ball falling behind him; you could watch it all day!”
The discussion on mental health and wellbeing in a professional sporting environment prompted the players to candidly share the intricacies of managing their mental health and dealing with pressure.
In the broader context of mental health and recognising that many students are at a crucial transition stage in their lives, Kehrer was keen to emphasise the importance of focusing on their individual paths.
“You guys being here means that to some degree you all have a plan,” Kehrer noted. “I think it’s healthy to realise that you’re on your own journey. It’s important to not compare yourself to others, because in this day and age with social media it’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at others and thinking that you’re underachieving.
“Of course, it’s good to have goals, but I believe it’s crucial for you to realise that you’re on your own path, you’re on your own time. Life is not a race. Sometimes things take their time or perhaps they happen a bit quicker. You just have to relax and know that you’re on your own path. I’m a firm believer of things will come when the time is right, and when you’re going through difficult times, these will help you grow.”
No stranger to using the power of football to uplift communities, in addition to his visits to the WHU Foundation’s initiatives, Kehrer frequents his very own charity, United for Burundi, every summer following the conclusion of the football season.
“The impact of football is so great. Every time I go to a project or a charity activity, you see that the time you spend in the community leaves such lasting impressions.”
To find out more about the WHU Foundation’s further education offer, comprising of undergraduate programmes, BSc Sports Coaching & Performance and BSc International Sport with Enterprise, as well as a postgraduate degree, MSc Workplace Diversity in Sport, visit ‘Study with the WHU Foundation’ on the University of East London website.
