Overview: The importance of performance psychology and mental health support for athletes and coaches has received much attention in recent years. However, there has been limited consideration given to the mental health of referees and other sports officials (i.e., umpires, judges, etc.). Recent research has highlighted that sports officials experience distress from a multitude of sources, including making errors in decision making and experiences of verbal abuse and physical assault from spectators, coaches, and players. These stressors negatively impact on the mental health and longer-term retention of sports officials.
This webinar aims to provide an insight in the psychological demands, key stressors, and the impact of these stressors on mental health outcomes in sports officials. It will introduce a resilience-based, performance psychology and mental health literacy intervention co-produced with referees in Ireland. Based on this work, the webinar will provide attendees with an insight into strategies that may help to improve officiating performance, optimise psychological wellbeing, and reduce attrition amongst this population. The webinar will also reflect on the challenges experienced when working with sporting organisations to co-produce and deliver effective psychological support for sports match officials.
