Mental health in professional sport ~ Event Online or In Person
The ESSEC Sport Chair, the Sport Business Club and ESSEC Alumni are pleased to invite you to their new event:
Mental health in professional sport
Thursday, October 14th at 8.15 am
Zoom and La Défense Campus
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3810697601
What? After Naomi Osaka dropped out from Roland Garros earlier this year and Simone Biles temporarily withdrew from the Olympics, public awareness of the immense pressure that professional athletes are under is perhaps greater than ever before. But how does this pressure affect athletes’ mental health? Why are athletes in general less likely to seek support when they are struggling with mental health issues, and what can federations, sponsors, and other players in the sport industry do to support them? And what role do athletes play in changing society’s conversation about mental health?
Who? To explore these important questions, we welcome the following experts:
Dr Ruth Anderson, CEO of MiND HQ, Director of Psychology of the Australian Cycling Team. Dr Ruth Anderson is a sport psychologist who specializes in working with elite sports people and teams. She has recently returned from the Tokyo Olympic Games in her role as Director of Psychology for the Australian Cycling Team, and also oversaw psychology services for the Great Britain Cycling Team during their record-breaking 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Ruth has worked within the elite sport industries in both the United Kingdom and Australia in senior roles with the Great British Cycling Team, the Australian Institute of Sport, and Tennis Australia. She was Head of Psychology Services for the Australian Olympic Team for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and established the first counselling service for athletes at Australian Institute of Sport.
Holding dual expertise in sport and clinical psychology, Ruth transitioned to working in the elite sport industry from management positions in mental health services. Ruth’s internationally published research portfolio spans a range of areas related to performance and holistic psychological development. She has completed a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, a Master’s Degree in Sport Psychology, and her PhD investigated the optimal psychological state for peak performance. The Cycling Mind, Ruth’s book was published by Bloomsbury, London.
Ruth is the CEO of MiND HQ (@MiND_HQ), which provides innovative psychology services to individuals and teams, empowering them the knowledge and skills required to achieve optimal performance on and off the sporting field.
Gary Florimont, professional basketball player and ambassador for the Ethics and Sport Committee. Gary Florimont has been a professional basketball player for 16 years and most recently played for Orléans Loiret Basket in Betclic Elite before joining Metz Basket Club in 2021. He holds an Executive Master’s degree in general management from EM Lyon and is a project manager and entrepreneur alongside his professional sports career.
He is athlete ambassador of the Ethics and Sport Committee, a non-profit association which works on concrete proposals in response to ethical deviance in sport (Do Tank) and focuses on responsible sponsorship, abuse in sport, diversity, and doping. A recent survey conducted by the Committee highlights the taboo of depression in sport and the measures that should be put in place to support athletes.
Dr Karoline Strauss, ESSEC Sports Chair Professor. Dr Karoline Strauss is a professor of organizational behaviour at ESSEC Business School, and the professor of the ESSEC Sports Chair. She holds a Masters in Psychology from the University of Vienna and a PhD in Organisational Psychology from the University of Sheffield. She teaches leadership and human resource management across different programs at ESSEC, and is the Academic Director of the BBA dissertations. Her expertise is in the impact of work and organisations on individuals’ well-being, and on the interaction between sports and work. Her work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Management, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and Human Resource Management. Her ongoing research explores how athletes prepare for, and navigate, career transitions which constitute a particular vulnerable period for their mental health.
Abhinav Bindra, Olympic gold medallist, member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission. Abhinav Bindra became India's first individual Olympic gold medallist in 2008. He serves on the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission, and the IOC Mental Health Working Group, and is a champion for the protection of athletes' physical and mental wellbeing. He is the founder of the Abhinav Bindra Foundation, a non-profit organisation which aims to make global best practices in training and wellness accessible to Indian grassroots athletes. Abhinav further holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Colorado."
When? Thurday, Octobre 14th ~ at 8.15am
Where? CNIT (Campus ESSEC La Défense) or on Zoom
REGISTRATIONS
Registrations are open below.
You can attend this event in person at the CNIT (limited to 60 people) or online using the Zoom link that will be sent to you on the event day.
This “Sports Chair Knowledge Series” talk is co-organized by the ESSEC Sports Chair, ESSEC Alumni and the Sport Business Club.
Staff ESSEC Alumni
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