Worcestershire Women’s Rapids squad and coaches were made aware of potential mental health issues in cricket and how to deal with them during a pre-season presentation on this important issue.
The Rapids heard from Mark Boyns from ‘Opening Up Cricket’ on the subjects of Mental Health and Well Being in a get together in the Hick Pavilion.
Head Coach Gareth Davies believes the presentation can only be of benefit to the squad and himself as the Rapids prepare for their 20 over and 50 over campaigns in the ECB County Championship in 2019.
He said: “How beneficial was that for the girls? It was awesome having Mark Boyns from Opening Up. He shared a massive insight into mental health, not only on the field but off it as well.
“He did a fantastic job of just raising awareness within us a group and showing the issues within sport at this current time.
“He shared a couple of stories with us which were really heartfelt by all of us in the group and it hit home how important it is to have a good mental state in everyday life.”
Davies is aware of the importance of being on the look-out for early signs of any such mental health issues amongst the players.
He said: “As coaches, we need to be aware of how to spot these kind of issues and how to deal with them.
“It is all so that important we all have a bit of awareness of what to spot – and also how to deal with it.
“In the women’s game, Sarah Taylor suffered from anxiety and had time away from cricket.
“She has overcome it and done things away from the game to make sure she came back in a good mental state.”
Rapids Pathway chief Steve Magoffin echoed the sentiments of Davies and said: “This was an extremely beneficial session for the squad as we move forward into the season – not just for their cricket but also for their own well being.”
