We’ve always believed that sport is fundamental to the balanced development of young people and that one of its key benefits is creating a positive and resilient mindset to deal with challenges now and in the future. We know sport can help young people feel good about themselves and provide a sense of purpose and value to develop and grow as positive young people in our society. The mental health of young people has been affected more this year than in living memory, with the fallout from the pandemic creating challenges that they have never faced before. That’s why this year’s Mental Health Awareness is more welcome than ever, bringing into focus the importance and increased need to support and improve young people’s mental health as they transition back to school, sport and all the aspects of life that contribute to their healthy development.

Our football coaching partner, Chelsea Foundation, has developed some fantastic resources for schools in the UK to support mental health in young people and we are really pleased that they will be delivering workshops on this theme to players attending our Nike Football Camps with Chelsea FC Foundation this summer. They have designed a toolkit to aid students’ mental health journey, keeping their minds and bodies happy, healthy and ready to learn. The toolkit has been created in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation, a charity who since 1949, have been the UK’s leading charity for mental health. Players will be introduced to the toolkit and offered guidance on how to use it to work alongside their parents, teachers or coaches, aiming to provide introductory information and practical activities.

 Senior Chelsea Champion Officer Jonny Drabble said: “The current COVID-19 crisis has brought with it many challenges, not least the strain it’s placed on individuals’ mental health. We have had the great pleasure of working with the Mental Health Foundation to produce an interactive resource for our Chelsea Champion schools and Foundation participants, with the aim of providing encouragement for reflection and motivation to put one’s mental health first. We are very much looking forward to this resource being introduced to young players from across the world attending the Nike Football camp with our Foundation coaches.”

The toolkit created by the Chelsea Champions team will include advice on 5 key areas to support player development.

1.      Building resilience                                                      

2.      Time for you is time for the team                            

3.      Keep a healthy mind in a healthy body                   

4.      Managing your stress                                               

5.      Remember it’s OK not to be OK                 

Putting mental health into focus is one of the best ways we can equip children on our camps with the tools they need for adult life, and to face challenges such as we’ve seen in the past year.  After 12 months of lockdowns and home school, it has become clearer than ever that children need physical activity, social interactions, and positive relationships for mental and physical health. Nike Football Camps are very excited to welcome the Chelsea Champions team to talk to our players on how they can grow and develop off the pitch to support their development on the pitch.