What we’re reading this week
It’s been a tough year – that much is clear. Here at MAN v FAT, we’re well aware of the importance of looking after your mental health and it has been great to see so many of you making use of the access we’ve provided to the mental health platform SilverCloud as part of your membership.
It has been a useful addition to what our MAN v FAT players receive and, whilst football is at the heart of our biggest men’s weight loss programme, we also know that football is more than just a sport.
Whether it’s in your MAN v FAT weekly league or watching your favourite side home and away (remember that? Roll on when we can do that again!), the pitch reveals emotion in the extreme: from the glory of goals and the rollercoaster of club loyalty, through to the immense pressure of expectation, fear of injury, and crushing defeat.
It’s easy to get swept up by the drama of the beautiful game.
But when players at the peak of their physical fitness commit suicide, or poor mental health derails careers, there can still be a stunned silence in the community, a lack of connection.
Dominic Stevenson, a writer, player, coach and lifelong football obsessive, interviews a diverse cross-section of characters in the football world to try to understand this lost connection between the sport and the mind.
This book contains contributions from internationally renowned players such as Sam Hutchinson, Chris Kirkland, Ella Masar, John Harkes and Iffy Onoura. From voices at top clubs around the globe including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and DC United, to the stories of smaller clubs and unsung heroes behind the scenes, Dominic reveals personal battles both on and off the pitch, touching on anxiety, depression, discrimination, trauma, identity and recovery.
We’d highly recommend Dominic’s book if you’re looking to drop any last minute hints to the family! Grab your copy today.
