A recent report by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has highlighted alarming mental health issues faced by players in the A-League Women. These findings strongly support that a majority of gaming players are affected by disordered eating, alcohol misuse, and psychological distress. Four in ten players admit to having an eating disorder. Moreover, thirty-four percent experience problems related to alcohol abuse, which should ring alarm bells regarding the health and safety of league athletes.
The report revealed that more than two-thirds of A-League Women players struggled with psychological distress last season, stemming from the pressures associated with their roles as athletes. The research reveals another alarming practice. They are subject to impossible standards, while at the same time not being compensated for or supported in the way they need.
High Rates of Distress and Mental Health Issues
The PFA’s findings should be a wake-up call when you think about the bigger picture for player health. The 2022 story underscores that sleep disruption affects 28 percent of A-League Women players. This creates an added strain on their mental health. The breadth of impacts spans disordered eating, alcohol misuse, and disrupted sleep. This moment presents an important opportunity for outside intervention and support, to be sure, but within the league itself.
Tameka Yallop, a prominent player, shared her annual struggles with anxiety and stress during January and February, a period often marked by uncertainty for players.
“Every year it gets to January, February, and personally, I get a lot of anxiety and stress about that time,” – Tameka Yallop
Yallop’s experience showcases how the pressures of performing at a full-time level while being compensated as part-time athletes contribute to psychological distress among players.
Financial Insecurity and Off-Contract Stress
The financial future for A-League Women players appears equally dim. A whopping 76 percent don’t feel so hot on their financial security, reporting their financial situation as “not at all secure” or “slightly” secure. The gap between what is expected versus the pay causes most to have to find jobs in-season outside of football.
Yallop was particularly adamant about the financial burden athletes experience during their off-contract period, which spans three to four months.
“Because I’m missing out on a very significant portion of my income, and I’m expected to be a full-time professional athlete, and maintain that in a period where I don’t really have any support around me and no financial compensation to help me get through that time,” – Tameka Yallop
This complete lack of security deals a crushing blow to players’ mental wellbeing. This prevents them from being able to regularly operate at a high bar of performance.
Calls for Change in the League
Given these shocking findings, Yallop and others are demanding systemic change within the league. Her organizational aim is to get players full-time wages, commiserate with their commitments and performance expectations.
“It’s obviously distressing to see and I think it’s a compilation of the stresses that we’ve been put under with the extension of the home-and-away [season] to full-time, yet still being part-time and still having other jobs,” – Tameka Yallop
Yallop emphasizes the need to create programs to help players through their off-contract time. These kinds of programs would address the anxiety filled by the unpredictability that permeates in their professional paths.
