On April 17, Inter Miami CF First Team players Leo Afonso and Yannick Bright joined professionals at Florida International University ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month in May for the second year of Conversations with Cafecito sponsored by Café Bustelo, a panel centered around the discussion of mental health in the sports industry. The first edition of the panel was held last May.
The panel provided Afonso and Bright a space to share their personal experiences with mental health as professional athletes with FIU students and staff in an effort to continue the breakdown of stigmas surrounding mental health and the fight to seek help.
When asked how the formative years of a soccer player impact mental health, Bright shared, “If you want to make it, it’s not all fun anymore. There’s more to it… you’re going to have bad days. Failure is going to be a part of the growth process and I wish I had somebody to talk about it with when I was 15-16 and that’s where I think mental health comes in.”
Shedding light on the importance of maintaining a balanced mindset was Afonso who added, “I think pressure is a privilege in some ways. When I feel pressures I feel like I’m 100%. If I don’t feel a lot of pressure, I’m not going 100%, so I think pressure is a good thing sometimes.”
Leading the conversation from FIU’s School of Psychology were Dr. Jeremy Pettit and Dr. Kristin A. Nichols, who offered their expertise to the conversation. With a specialty in adolescent psychology, Dr. Pettit’s research centers around the development of interventions to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal behaviors, with a focus on the contributions of interpersonal and cognitive factors to the onset of mental illnesses.
Dr. Kristin A.Nichols’ research focuses on evidence-based clinical interventions and the risk and protective factors for internalizing disorders in children and adolescents. With over 20 years of research experience in developmental, counseling and clinical psychology, Dr. Nichols serves as the Director of the Professional Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at FIU and the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Psychology Department.
“Not everything is going to work the same for every person,” offered Dr. Pettit when touching upon various mental health coping techniques. “The other thing is also the recognition that not every third or fourth grader is going to end up a professional and coming to terms with the possibility that my life may go a different path and that’s okay. I don’t have to be perfect at this. I can make mistakes, I can learn, I can grow and I can develop other skills along the way that will allow me to thrive in life.”
Following the panel, attendees were given the opportunity to ask the players questions and share their own experiences, fostering a supportive environment for all.
Inter Miami CF looks forward to continuing its contribution to mental health awareness in the future. Fans of Inter Miami are encouraged to stay tuned to learn more about the Club’s upcoming Community initiatives and its continuous efforts to give back.
