MLS: Mental toll of social isolation must be considered
Sacha Kljestan has discussed the mental toll that social isolation can have on players. It is something that MLS clubs must consider throughout the present period and when play resumes.
We are now into the fifth(?) week of social isolation and no sports. The world has irreversibly changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we are only just getting to grips with the extent of that change. In sport, in society, in the economy, and in life in general, everything will be different.
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For professional sportspeople, including Major League Soccer players, they currently sit in limbo. No games will be played in the near future, and potentially for the rest of 2020 should the worst-case scenario play out, while all events and competitions have been put on hold. They must maintain their physical fitness while remaining in their homes and teams will have conducted tests and training plans to handle the logistical difficulties of this current period. But it is also important to consider the mental impact of social isolation.
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I don’t know about you, but I am starting to go a little mad. As a journalist, much of my work is done from home. Bar attending games, interviews or press conferences, my writing is largely done at home. And yet, despite being used to home confinement for work, I am beginning to struggle with social isolation, as I think many others are. Staying inside for such long periods is not healthy, and it is beginning to send people up the walls.
This is true for professionals sportspeople, too. In fact, you could argue that it is even more damaging for them given their makeup as energetic, competitive, athletic, high-action individuals, people who enjoy partaking in physical activity.
Teams across all sports, including MLS, will have to account for this, as LA Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan hinted at this week.
“On one side, I’m an older guy,” Kljestan explained to LAG Confidential. “I have a family so I’ve got a wife and two kids at home with me and I’ve got them to take care of and try to keep the kids entertained while also trying to keep myself fit. So mentally I’m pretty stimulated. Whereas, on the other hand, if this was 10-plus years ago and I was a young guy and I was single, and I was living on my own then I know these types of days, I think it’s very difficult for some of those guys.
“I think maybe the single guys on our team, you know, mentally, this can get very boring, and taxing and you start to have a lot of doubts at that point. So, for me, being this age, this part for me off the field stuff, it’s okay. I’m handling it really well.
“And then the doubt starts to creep into the back of my mind, which I’m trying to keep out of my mind, that how long this lasts, taking up valuable years of the ending part of my career, which sucks, I want to play as many games as possible. But I think I’ve done a good job of not being too down about missing too many games right now at this point in my career.”
Kljestan highlights the growing mental strains that social isolation can have, especially on younger players who do not have the natural community of a family. Many young footballers live on their own. In the current climate, loneliness can easily creep in and there are social, emotional, and mental impacts related to such issues.
Teams, then, will have to be attentive to their players’ needs. Regular video calls, group chats, events and games that they can play to keep individuals both entertained and connected with one another. Football is a team sport, more so than almost any other in the world. Having that camaraderie and connection is vital, especially in these testing times.
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The MLS teams that are able to protect and care for their players will be the ones that are best prepared for the resumption of play, which is currently scheduled for June 8th though is likely to be pushed back again. There is a mental toll of social isolation for all, including footballers. It must be considered and contained.