The PSA Foundation – the charitable arm of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) – is delighted to announce its new partnership with Sporting Chance which will create additional support for all players on the PSA Tour.
Sporting Chance was founded by former Arsenal and England footballer Tony Adams in 2000 and is now the largest provider in the world of education and treatment for sporting professionals. Patrons of Sporting Chance include Adams’ former teammate Lee Dixon, Rugby League legend Tony Smith and two-time Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.
As part of the partnership, Sporting Chance will provide a 24-hour hotline where players are connected with trained counsellors and have an outlet to talk, as well as hosting education workshops and providing resources for players to help break the stigma surrounding mental health.
One of the core objectives of the PSA Foundation is to focus on the well-being of all of the players competing on the professional tour and to ensure they have someone to talk to or somewhere to go if they are in need.
So far, the PSA Foundation has created the Squash University as a way to aid players in their careers after squash with a number of workshops taking place around the world and the partnership with Sporting Chance is further evidence of the commitment the PSA has towards mental health and player well-being.
“Partnering with Sporting Chance was a no-brainer for us at the PSA Foundation,” said PSA Foundation Manager, Adriana Olaya.
“Offering top quality mental health support to all professional squash players has always been a priority for us. We wanted to make sure we did this with a reliable partner who understands the mental strains that professional athletes face and who knows the best ways to help them manage with this. We trust the work that Sporting Chance do and their willingness to adapt to our sport and the PSA World Tour was a key factor. We are looking forward to working closer together and are very grateful to have their support, especially during these current tough times.”
“Sporting Chance is delighted to be working with the PSA Foundation in supporting their players from around the world,” said Sporting Chance CEO Colin Bland.
“Our close collaboration over recent months has ensured this support is in place at such a crucial juncture. We appreciate that this may be an exceptionally challenging time for some and hope that by offering a confidential and safe place to talk we can provide practical and meaningful help to those in need. We hope the common ground of sharing the joy of sport will help the world recover once competitions such as the PSA World Tour are back up and running – but for this to happen we must look after the wellbeing of the players, not only physically but emotionally and mentally.”
“I am delighted that we are working with the PSA Foundation to provide mental and emotional wellbeing support to players on the PSA World Tour,” added Sporting Chance Founder, Tony Adams MBE.
“We have been supporting elite and professional sports men and women for over twenty years and I believe we’ve created a safe and professional service that is right for them. Our mission is that when any sports person has the courage to reach out for support with an emotional or mental health issue, that there must be somewhere safe for them to go. I hope that all the players on the PSA World Tour, if they find themselves looking in the mirror on a morning and feel they need some help, trust in us to be that place for them. They need to know that wherever they are in the world, they can call our helpline and they’ll get compassion and empathy and the right level of professional support to address whatever it is that they’re struggling with.”
You can find out more information about Sporting Chance here: https://www.sportingchanceclinic.com/
