Mental health in the sport and physical activity sector
At Mind, we use sport and physical activity to raise awareness and tackle mental health stigma. We support those of us with mental health problems to become more active through delivering safe, effective and inclusive programmes.
This page is here to support you whether you deliver activities, volunteer or work in the sport and physical activity sector.
Stay up to date
Our monthly e-newsletter gives updates on our work and shares good practice. It also includes opportunities for you to get involved.
Worried someone is struggling with their mental health?
Mind has guidance to help you spot the signs someone may be struggling, support them, and signpost to help and services.
Tips for coaches
River, Paddy and Elsa draw on their lived experience to share how to support young people in physical activity.
Mental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity eLearning
This course will build your confidence in supporting people experiencing mental health problems in sport and physical activity.
Safe and effective practice
Guidance on how to deliver activities that are safe and effective for participants and deliverers.
Self-care library
Free wellbeing, grounding and breathing activities to support your own and others’ wellbeing.
Mental health and physical activity toolkit
A variety of guides providing information, tools, templates and good practice examples.
Supporting young people during physical activity
Guidance on supporting young people’s mental health through physical activity.
Our work with marginalised communities
Our work supporting the mental health of people from marginalised communities through physical activity.
Developing a healthy relationship with physical activity
Guidance on how to support participants to develop a healthy relationship with physical activity.
Thriving at Work for the sport and physical activity sector
Guidance on supporting the mental health of staff and employees.
Mental health champions: a toolkit
Guidance and tools on how to develop a champions scheme to support participants, staff and volunteers.
Case studies
Good practice and learning from across the sector including programme delivery and workplace wellbeing.
Sector support
We're helping sport and physical activity providers to support people with mental health problems. We do this through our eLearning course, regional networks, events, webinars, and partnerships.
The programme has directly supported over 350,000 people working or volunteering in the sector.
Our Jigsaw consultancy offer is a decade in the making. Since 2015, we've supported sport organisations to develop their work around mental health. And our Jigsaw consultancy offer brings all of this together to help your organisation to make a real difference.
Promoting good mental health through coaching – CARE resources
The CARE acronym infographics and animation help coaches promote good mental health. Produced in partnership with UK Coaching and Public Health England.
Our insight and impact
We've been working with the sport, physical activity and mental health sectors for over a decade. Our insight and impact includes:
- Get Set to Go evaluation (2017) – showcases learning and impact from our Get Set to Go programme (2014-2017) and recommendations for organisations delivering physical activity and mental health projects.
- Physical Activity Impact report (2021) – showcases learning and impact from our Sector Support and Get Set to Go programmes (2018-2021) and provides recommendations for organisations delivering physical activity and mental health projects.
- Moving for Mental Health policy brief and report (2022) – highlights the role of physical activity in promoting movement and mental health following Covid-19.
- Mental Health in Elite Sport reports (2022) – explores attitudes towards mental health in elite and professional sport since 2014.
- Exploring Mind’s strategic audiences through a physical activity lens (2022) – insight on the relationship between physical activity and mental health for young people, racialised communities and people facing poverty.
- The Mind 11 highlights animation (2023) – impact from our #OnYourSide partnership with the English Football League (2018-2022) between 2018 and 2022.
- Regional Networks impact animation (2024) – animation showcasing the impact of our Regional Networks between 2019 and 2024.
- Trauma-informed physical activity (2026) – key findings from PhD research undertaken with Loughborough University and supported by ASICS funding.