Leicester Tigers' Joe Heyes wants more young men to feel comfortable about mental health
blOKes is holding a virtual drop in session for men to chat about their mental health
East Midlands-based men's mental health charity blOKes is holding a virtual drop-in session on social media for men to chat about what's going on inside their head.
Leicester Tigers prop and blOKes ambassador Joe Heyes says it's exactly the type of event that really help men take that first step towards breaking the stigma:
'For some people it's a safe and secure place to talk, you're sitting in your house, there's no threat or intimidation, and I think for a lot of people, talking online and on virtual means you are with somebody, but you also feel safe and secure in your own bubble in your world.'
'I think that's quite important for those people that are struggling to get their foot in the door to open up about how they're feeling.'
The mental battle of professional sport for young men
Discussion around mental health has generally become much more adopted into everyday life, though not long ago the topic was much less common in conversation, certainly in sport.
Joe Heyes joined Leicester Tigers straight from leaving school at 16, which presented a tough test for his mental health, and a lot of young adults entering professional sport.
'It was the first time we've ever been analysed or heavily looked-at, or critiqued, from playing rugby on the pitch to doing your skinfolds in the gym, a 16 year old would find that hard...', Joe said.
'...I think now for a lot of young lads it's still a tough place to be, transitioning into professional sport.
'I do feel that period was not up to scratch at the time. It was "this is what you're expected to do, this is what you're expected to be, this is how you behave". It wasn't, "how do you feel?" So it was very narrow-minded, and one path to it, so I think a lot of boys struggled to get down that path', he added.
A big difference in a short time
In the seven years that Joe's been with Tigers, he's already noticed a big difference in how the mental health of young men is being considered in rugby, and hopes that the same can happen outside the sport.
'Now I think, especially at Leicester Tigers, it's significantly better. Boys are transitioned, they're taught how to be a rugby player from an early age but it's perfectly acceptable to have those days where you're allowed to talk about how you feel', Joe said.
'Whereas before it was just like "oh, you don't want it?", and that was such a negative way of looking at it. I think now, especially at Leicester Tigers, it has improved.'