THE HUMAN BEING BEHIND THE ATHLETE

Humanistic approach: person first, performance second.

The closing of the course emphasizes the fundamental philosophy that before the athlete, there is the person.

A purely result-oriented approach that instrumentalizes the human being is unsustainable and ethically questionable.

The sports psychologist must look after the holistic well-being of the individual, understanding that a happy and balanced human being is, in the long run, a better athlete.

Ignoring basic human needs (affection, security, purpose) leads to performance collapse. This involves taking a genuine interest in the athlete's life outside of sport.

Asking "How's your family?" or "How are your studies going?" before asking about training sends a powerful message, "I care about you, not just your medals."

When the athlete feels that his value as a person does not depend on his Sunday performance, he plays with greater freedom and less fear, unleashing his full potential.

Importance of life values beyond sport

Finally, the athlete should be helped to cultivate values and an identity that transcends the court. Sport is a wonderful part of life, but it is not the whole of life.

Fostering interests, relationships and values outside of the competitive arena provides an emotional safety net and a healthy perspective.

Knowing that there is life beyond sport reduces competitive anxiety, as the game ceases to be a symbolic "life or death" issue.

An inspiring example is that of an Olympic swimmer who also devotes time to painting and volunteering.

When she suffers a bad season in the pool, she does not fall apart because her "artist self" and her "solidarity self" remain intact and bring her satisfaction.

This diversification of the "identity portfolio" is the best mental health insurance a psychologist can offer an athlete, ensuring that he enjoys the sporting journey without being consumed by it.

By pathologizing insecurity as a purely individual problem ("you have the syndrome"), we run the risk of ignoring systemic factors.

Summary

The humanistic approach prioritizes the person over performanc