By Sebastián Blasco, Director of the Diploma in Sports Psychology at Universidad AustralAuthor of the book “Behind the athlete: personal fulfillment as victory”, Club House Publisher.
Exactly 1584 days have passed since that final played between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium in Moscow, on July 15, 2018. About 51 months separate us from that consecration of "Les bleus" with the stars of Griezmann, Mbappé and Pogba.
Just hours before the kickoff of the 22nd FIFA World Cup, Qatar is being touted as the most technologically advanced tournament in history. There, we'll have the opportunity to see Stadium 974, built from shipping containers and recycled materials, fully air-conditioned stadiums, and witness the semi-automatic offside technology used to detect players moving off their line. Meanwhile, players will be able to access information about their performance on the field through the FIFA Player app.
Technological revolution. Innovation. Big Data. Artificial intelligence. However, we must ask ourselves if this might not be the World Cup of the emotional revolution.
What events have taken place in the world of sports over these almost four and a half years to prompt such a transformation? The protagonists began to raise their voices, demanding to be seen in their entirety, highlighting the need for a perspective that considers the person behind the athlete, taking into account their biological, psychological, and spiritual dimensions: Simone Biles decided to withdraw from the team final in artistic gymnastics at Tokyo 2020 to prioritize her mental health.
Naomi Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros, expressing that she felt depressed and dejected.
Roger Federer ended his sporting career by writing a letter about the importance of the bonds forged in his tennis life.
Andrés Iniesta confessed that even having all the cars in the world did not lessen his difficulty in facing life's problems.
Michael Phelps declared to the world that he is still battling his mental demons.
Michael Hooper informed the rugby community that he was not in the right mental condition to play against Los Pumas.
Of course, it's no coincidence that all these cases emerged after a pandemic. The context invited us to integrate spaces, to erase the boundaries of division, to accept our own shortcomings. We can see this need not only in the world of sports, but also in various work environments, where the individual (their life, their home, their emotions) transcended imposed limits. We became more human in our work, with an unprecedented empathy as we came together in understanding our difficulties.
We find ourselves immersed in a cultural moment where athletes themselves are beginning to reveal their personal side, embracing their vulnerability, breaking down stereotypes of perfection, expressing their emotions, and fostering greater identification and emotional connection with spectators. It's a moment where part of the sporting world is beginning to challenge the dogma of pressure, suffering, and excellence, opening itself to the experience of inner connection, personal meaning, and enjoyment as the foundation of athletic practice.
What a paradox that, amidst so much technological development, so many statistics, so much economic investment, Qatar presents us with the opportunity to generate an emotional revolution by prioritizing the person to reach their most real version.
Source: clarin.com
