September 30, 2020

Our Mental Health Mission Continues - Awareness Workshop

Alternative Audience, Common Goals - 12Round Bella Vista Mental Health Workshop

Recently the team at Pigeon Football found ourselves in a position to deliver our ethos to a group of like-minded individuals at a boxing gym in Bella Vista. We were invited by owners Ally & Steve Mowbray to conduct a Mental Health Workshop as they saw the similarities in what support they felt their valued members needed during “these COVID times”, to what the Pigeon Football goal and vision of raising mental health awareness and well-being education was aimed towards.


12rnds x Man Anchor x Pigeon Football Mental Health Awareness

But why a gym? Why a boxing gym? Doesn’t Pigeon Football aim at football clubs and schools?

Well, Pigeon Football are lucky to have one of our Directors as a part time boxing coach at this lovely establishment, hence, harnessing this great opportunity in the hope of providing tools and mechanisms to support mental health in the wider community. #connectingthroughcommunity

A good turnout from the 12rnds faithfull - sharing and learning.

What was covered on the night?

The evening was spent having healthy, safe, meaningful, and robust discussions on how members of 12Round Bella Vista face challenges around the trials and tribulations of achieving goals in their fitness. With expectations from external influences and from themselves as individuals, to both perform in the gym and show proof on the outside, can sometimes cause levels of health deficiencies that we would not ordinarily have aligned with a ‘mental health’ issue. I guess, we do not always know when a mental health issue is, or becomes, an issue until we can understand what the symptoms are. Understanding the triggers and signs, encouraged a more intimate interaction and sharing of livid experiences by the group.

Normalising the topic and language used, breaking down perceived barriers, all culminated into a genuine sense of comfort in ensuring from this point forward, all members would stay on the good side of the Mental Health spectrum.

If anxiety, depression, or substance abuse were a sporting injury like a calf strain, a neck spasm or torn rotator cuff – we would visit a physio, chiro or specialist to help treat the injury.

So why don’t we treat ourselves with the same intent for Mental Health issues?

Sporting injuries and Mental Health issues are not the same! However, the same principles for acting on treatment, should render the same priority. Period. Normalising treatment, encouraging people to talk to someone, educating ourselves, and engaging with one another, will reduce Mental Health issues that may potentially arise due to circumstances surrounding sporting injuries.

Something we have learnt from this workshop in particular is that you never know the opportunities that lie within your audiences that may ignite long-term connections or relationships. Keeping the door open to new conversations, will always be pivotal in the message we deliver.

The more we understand, the more we can help.

Stay Safe,

Pigeon Football Family

#footballs4health


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