Foundation advocates use of multi-sporting activities to reduce stress
Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Chairman, Rangers International Football Club Foundation, Coach Ebere Amaraizu, has advocated the use of multi-sporting activities and engagements to reduce stress and worries that usual occupy the human mind.
Amaraizu made the advocacy while giving a presentation on “Coping with Life Challenges as Teeenagers” during an interface with children and young persons at the ongoing Catch-Them-Young Holiday Table Tennis Clinic at the Indoor Hall of Enugu State Sports Council,
The two week-long event is being organised by Enugu State Table Tennis Association in partnership with state’s Ministry of Youth and Sports; Rangers International FC Foundation and Cope-and-Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation.
Amaraizu noted that having a balanced and stress-free mental healthy was needed by every person in order to function and perform optimally in their daily activities and life endeavours.
According to him, everyone needs mental health awareness education including the athletes.
“It will help to promote psychological well being as well as enhancing cognitive, emotional, intellectual and social capabilities among others.
“This has become necessary because if any of these aspects of an individuals psychology is facing some form of disturbance, it will affect the entire being and hinder performance and healthy living as well as satisfying life,” he said.
The chairman, however, advised on the need for all and sundry to make haste to prioritise issues around mental health by taking necessary steps to manage stress, build resilience (mental resilience) as well as seeking professional support when the need arises.
Speaking, Rev. Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu, the Executive Director of Cope-and-Live Mental Health awareness Foundation, revealed numerous life changing experience and impactful community programmes embarked upon by his foundation geared towards raising societal awareness/education on mental health.
Nwachukwu maintained that the foundation is working with relevant partners like Rangers Foundation, ASTRIC and Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organisation (CAPIO) among others towards raising the awareness and addressing issues around mental health and general wellbeing.
In her engagement with the participants, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwachukwu, a mental health counsellor with the foundation,
exposed the participants to dangers of anger, anxiety, overthinking and other emotions as well as their triggers and how they can be managed.
She also engaged them with some mental work on identifying positive and negative emotions and naming them under safe awareness.
Responding, Coach Christopher Ugwuodo of Enugu State Table Tennis Association, thanked both Rangers and Cope-and-Live Foundations for the life changing engagement for the youths/children that would help them to function well as prospective table tennis athletes.
One of the participants, Master Chidi Ugwu, pledged to put the knowledge acquired into practice for good mental wellbeing.
