What is FAD FC about?
Caroline's Statement
My Football career began playing notably for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies, transferring to Sheffield United and then Kilnhurst! Having lost my career in 1996, I spiralled into severe Depression, so severe that I was self harming, burning myself, taking regular overdoses and was an Alcoholic from the age of 19 to 31. Football was all I knew, all that I was good at and all that I wanted to do! If I didn't have Football, I didn't want to live! - I walked in utter silence for 16 years, to scared and too embarrassed to speak out about my Mental Health. I cut myself off from Society, too scared to leave my home in case I saw or heard anything remotely connected to Football.
In 2012, I finally got the help and support I needed after having a blood test come back showing early signs of Liver Damage.. With Bereavement Counselling, Medication and amazing support from my GP, I finally felt able to return to the game that almost cost me my life.. Although I wasn't ready to watch Football etc, I decided to write about it, and so in 2013 I launched my first book ' A Guide To positive Mental Health' .. The aim of this guide is to promote positive Mental Health in Sport and Football in particular. Mental health issues can be harder to spot than a physical injury, but how much support the sufferer receives can make a big difference to their recovery. This easy to read guide includes the signs that coaches and others working with sportspeople should be looking out for and details the practical support and help available. Club leaders and coaches are at the heart of their communities, able to influence and promote positive mental health. This guide gives them the tools to do that.
But I wanted to give something back to the game and so I founded FAD FC
FAD FC - Football's Awareness of Depression Football Community, a registered Organisation, providing support to Footballers who have or is experiencing Mental Health issues. Not only do we do this, but we raise awareness of Mental Health, and encourage Footballers to 'Speak Out... Speak Loud, Don't suffer in silence' without the fear of Stigma! We campaign for compulsory Mental Health First Aid training to be included within the 1st4Sport Level 1 Coaching Course Syllabus, and after writing an 18 page in-depth report highlighting the importance of Mental Health First Aid, as well as highlighting the fact that, to date, 52 Professional Footballers have taken their own life. Although this statistic shows a global number, the majority of these Suicides happened in the UK, I sent this report to the FA 2 years ago, though more recently, I updated this report as the Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA took on board my bid for compulsory MHFA training and allowed 30 members of their staff and Directors to take the course. The positive feedback was included in my updated report and resent to the FA.
I also work with Sports Students who wish for a career in Professional Football, covering Prevention of Mental Illness and to educate and prepare them mentally for when they do enter the career. To date, I have educated over 200 people on Mental Health in which I am proud to say is a massive achievement
Last year, I launched my Mental Health Football Academy, which hosts 2 Mental Health Tournaments per year, weekly Football sessions for the NHS Mental Health patients, weekly sessions for Street Drinkers and I run an 11 a-side Mental Health team which is also a feeder team for the NHS patients - This basically means I encourage patients to come along to our training and play in our matches in hope that they remain active with us after leaving the care of the hospital. This has been a massive success with several patients now playing for our team.
More recently, I expanded FAD FC, and now I work with 3 other Sports too - Cricket, Rugby and Badminton in which I will aim to set up teams in those Sports too.
Now, I also provide Motivational Inspirational talks on how I went from near death through attempted suicide to become a Mental Health Author and Founder..
FAD FC's aims;
Include Mental Health First Aid training as part of the FA Coaching Course Syllabus
Encourage more individuals with Mental Health issues to take part in Football
Provide better / more facilities for individuals to take part in Football
Promote Mental Health Awareness within Sporting establishments
Inclusion of Mental Health First Aid training as part of the FA Coaching Course Syllabus
FAD FC will contact the appropriate persons at the FA dealing with the Coaching
Syllabus to ask if MHFA can be included into the Level 1 Coaching Course Syllabus.
FAD FC believe that the MHFA course will greatly benefit all Sports Coaches and those
people directly involved with Sporting Professionals.
Why a Mental Health First Aid Lite Course?
MHFA Lite is a 3 hour introductory mental health awareness course that can be delivered to
up to 25 people. Because of its short duration it is not meant as a substitute for the full MHFA course (these are around 12 hours long). The aims and objectives of the course include:
Enabling participants to:
1. Gain a wider understanding, for themselves and others, of some issues surrounding mental health
2. Gain a greater understanding of how and why positive and negative mental health affects
business
3. Work more effectively with people experiencing mental health problems
Encourage more individuals with Mental Health issues to take part in Football
FAD FC will contact as many Mental Health Organisations dealing with individuals on a regular basis who are suffering with Mental Health Issues. FAD FC will be asking the organisations to display leaflets /Posters etc to encourage Individuals to take part in Sport. This can include Dr's surgeries, specialist hospitals and so on.
Why Mental Health Organisations?
Mental Health Organisations hold many more resources than FAD FC do. They can refer FAD FC to other resources, Organisations ect.
Provide better / more facilities for individuals suffering with Mental Illnesses to part part in Sport
FAD FC will be looking into setting up various Mental Health Sports teams. As far as FAD FC are aware, there is no such facilities within our chosen Sports.
Promote Mental Health Awareness within Sporting Establishments
FAD FC will promote Mental Health Awareness by contacting various Sports establishments offering to leave them information packs on Mental Health. FAD FC will also offer to take part in speeches and activities.
Caroline's Statement
My Football career began playing notably for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies, transferring to Sheffield United and then Kilnhurst! Having lost my career in 1996, I spiralled into severe Depression, so severe that I was self harming, burning myself, taking regular overdoses and was an Alcoholic from the age of 19 to 31. Football was all I knew, all that I was good at and all that I wanted to do! If I didn't have Football, I didn't want to live! - I walked in utter silence for 16 years, to scared and too embarrassed to speak out about my Mental Health. I cut myself off from Society, too scared to leave my home in case I saw or heard anything remotely connected to Football.
In 2012, I finally got the help and support I needed after having a blood test come back showing early signs of Liver Damage.. With Bereavement Counselling, Medication and amazing support from my GP, I finally felt able to return to the game that almost cost me my life.. Although I wasn't ready to watch Football etc, I decided to write about it, and so in 2013 I launched my first book ' A Guide To positive Mental Health' .. The aim of this guide is to promote positive Mental Health in Sport and Football in particular. Mental health issues can be harder to spot than a physical injury, but how much support the sufferer receives can make a big difference to their recovery. This easy to read guide includes the signs that coaches and others working with sportspeople should be looking out for and details the practical support and help available. Club leaders and coaches are at the heart of their communities, able to influence and promote positive mental health. This guide gives them the tools to do that.
But I wanted to give something back to the game and so I founded FAD FC
FAD FC - Football's Awareness of Depression Football Community, a registered Organisation, providing support to Footballers who have or is experiencing Mental Health issues. Not only do we do this, but we raise awareness of Mental Health, and encourage Footballers to 'Speak Out... Speak Loud, Don't suffer in silence' without the fear of Stigma! We campaign for compulsory Mental Health First Aid training to be included within the 1st4Sport Level 1 Coaching Course Syllabus, and after writing an 18 page in-depth report highlighting the importance of Mental Health First Aid, as well as highlighting the fact that, to date, 52 Professional Footballers have taken their own life. Although this statistic shows a global number, the majority of these Suicides happened in the UK, I sent this report to the FA 2 years ago, though more recently, I updated this report as the Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA took on board my bid for compulsory MHFA training and allowed 30 members of their staff and Directors to take the course. The positive feedback was included in my updated report and resent to the FA.
I also work with Sports Students who wish for a career in Professional Football, covering Prevention of Mental Illness and to educate and prepare them mentally for when they do enter the career. To date, I have educated over 200 people on Mental Health in which I am proud to say is a massive achievement
Last year, I launched my Mental Health Football Academy, which hosts 2 Mental Health Tournaments per year, weekly Football sessions for the NHS Mental Health patients, weekly sessions for Street Drinkers and I run an 11 a-side Mental Health team which is also a feeder team for the NHS patients - This basically means I encourage patients to come along to our training and play in our matches in hope that they remain active with us after leaving the care of the hospital. This has been a massive success with several patients now playing for our team.
More recently, I expanded FAD FC, and now I work with 3 other Sports too - Cricket, Rugby and Badminton in which I will aim to set up teams in those Sports too.
Now, I also provide Motivational Inspirational talks on how I went from near death through attempted suicide to become a Mental Health Author and Founder..
FAD FC's aims;
Include Mental Health First Aid training as part of the FA Coaching Course Syllabus
Encourage more individuals with Mental Health issues to take part in Football
Provide better / more facilities for individuals to take part in Football
Promote Mental Health Awareness within Sporting establishments
Inclusion of Mental Health First Aid training as part of the FA Coaching Course Syllabus
FAD FC will contact the appropriate persons at the FA dealing with the Coaching
Syllabus to ask if MHFA can be included into the Level 1 Coaching Course Syllabus.
FAD FC believe that the MHFA course will greatly benefit all Sports Coaches and those
people directly involved with Sporting Professionals.
Why a Mental Health First Aid Lite Course?
MHFA Lite is a 3 hour introductory mental health awareness course that can be delivered to
up to 25 people. Because of its short duration it is not meant as a substitute for the full MHFA course (these are around 12 hours long). The aims and objectives of the course include:
Enabling participants to:
1. Gain a wider understanding, for themselves and others, of some issues surrounding mental health
2. Gain a greater understanding of how and why positive and negative mental health affects
business
3. Work more effectively with people experiencing mental health problems
Encourage more individuals with Mental Health issues to take part in Football
FAD FC will contact as many Mental Health Organisations dealing with individuals on a regular basis who are suffering with Mental Health Issues. FAD FC will be asking the organisations to display leaflets /Posters etc to encourage Individuals to take part in Sport. This can include Dr's surgeries, specialist hospitals and so on.
Why Mental Health Organisations?
Mental Health Organisations hold many more resources than FAD FC do. They can refer FAD FC to other resources, Organisations ect.
Provide better / more facilities for individuals suffering with Mental Illnesses to part part in Sport
FAD FC will be looking into setting up various Mental Health Sports teams. As far as FAD FC are aware, there is no such facilities within our chosen Sports.
Promote Mental Health Awareness within Sporting Establishments
FAD FC will promote Mental Health Awareness by contacting various Sports establishments offering to leave them information packs on Mental Health. FAD FC will also offer to take part in speeches and activities.