Sports organisations
We work with clubs, academies and player agencies, alongside the work of staff and families.
Clubs
High-level sport exposes players, and staff too, to constant pressure. Here is what the data says.
A meta-analysis of 72 studies shows that 33% of elite athletes report symptoms of distress, 22% sleep disturbances, 18% depressive symptoms and 18% anxiety symptoms. These are self-reported symptoms, not diagnoses (Gouttebarge et al., 2026).
During the 2020 lockdown, a survey by the Sporta union across the 24 Belgian professional clubs found that 47% of the players surveyed said they were stressed by the situation, and 16% reported depressive symptoms (Libois, 2020).
57% of the players surveyed have experienced mental health difficulties, and half of them received no support from their club. 49% are considering stopping earlier than planned, and 46% of that group cite psychological stress (FIFPRO, 2026).
Clubs · What we bring
With on-site sessions at the club, for easy and discreet access.
Stress, sleep, cohesion; spotting warning signs, referring, supporting.
Return from injury, arrival, being left out, end of contract.
Clubs · The benefits
Players who are struggling, and refer them to the right help, as recommended by the IOC (Reardon et al., 2026).
Stress is associated with a higher risk of injury (Ivarsson et al., 2017). In 24 European clubs followed over 11 seasons, a lower injury burden and better player availability were associated with a higher league ranking (Hägglund et al., 2013). These are associations, not a promise of results.
And a climate where asking for help is no longer seen as a weakness.
Academies
In an academy, the vast majority of young players will not turn professional. What they take with them matters as much as their level of play.
In two LaLiga academies, nearly 200 players aged 13 to 18 were followed for 10 years: 4% reached the elite level and 6% the lower divisions (Moran et al., 2024). We have not found a Belgian equivalent.
Nearly half of mental disorders (48.4%) appear before the age of 18 (Solmi et al., 2022). Among elite adolescent athletes, 21.8% show moderate burnout and 9.1% severe burnout (Reardon et al., 2026).
More than a third of Norwegian student-athletes aged 12 to 14 in sports schools show symptoms of severe school burnout, more often among the older ones (Saarinen et al., 2024).
Academies · What we bring
Start-of-season interviews and daily follow-up, from U9 to U23, including the women's section.
Adapted to the players' age.
For athletes and parents: identity beyond football, school-sport balance, supporting without adding pressure.
Moving up an age group, not being kept on, end of academy training.
And regular case reviews with the team, based on two and a half years of experience in a Belgian first-division academy.
Academies · The benefits
Of difficulties, at the age when they most often appear.
Released young players know who to talk to, families are not left on their own, and everyone leaves with resources, whether they turn professional or not.
Among young people combining school and sport.
Player agencies
A transfer, an injury, being left out: the decisive moments of a career are also the most fragile. Support that follows the player from one club to the next complements your work.
According to a FIFPRO survey of around 14,000 players in 54 countries, a contract lasts 22.6 months on average, and 41% of players experienced late salary payments over the last two seasons (FIFPRO, 2016).
CIES counted 15,310 expatriate footballers in 135 leagues in 2024, 19.2% more than in 2020 (Poli et al., 2024). In Belgium, expatriates already made up the majority of first-division squads in 2019 (Poli et al., 2019).
In a study of 101 professional players based in Europe, those who had suffered a serious injury or surgery were more likely to report distress over the following 12 months (Pillay et al., 2024).
41% of female players now have an agent, compared with 14% in 2017. 57% have experienced mental health difficulties, and half of them received no support from their club (FIFPRO, 2026).
According to FIFA, an agent's first duty is to act in the client's best interests. To approach a minor, the agent must complete dedicated training, and may only do so within the six months before the age of the first professional contract, with the prior written consent of the legal guardian (FIFA, 2023).
Agencies · What we bring
Of the players you represent, alongside your work.
Transfer, change of club, return from injury, end of career.
New country, new culture, new dressing room.
Spotting warning signs, referring without diagnosing, talking with families and minors.
For your roster, for example to prepare for a transfer.
Nothing is shared without the player's consent.
Agencies · The benefits
At the moments when they are most exposed: arriving in a new country, injury, being left out.
To act in time, with the player's consent.
Among athletes, mental health training improves knowledge of and attitudes towards seeking help; its effect on actually seeking help has not yet been demonstrated (Bu et al., 2020).
Towards the client, particularly for minors and their families.
That a club alone cannot always offer: the support follows the player from one club to the next.
A clear framework
Club, academy or agency: the same rules apply. What the organisation receives is set out in the contract, and the player always knows what is shared.
Sources
Bu, D., Chung, P.-K., Zhang, C.-Q., Liu, J., & Wang, X. (2020). Mental health literacy intervention on help-seeking in athletes: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(19), Article 7263. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197263
FIFA. (2023). FIFA Football Agent Regulations: Frequently asked questions (version 1.0). Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
FIFPRO. (2016). 2016 FIFPro global employment report: Working conditions in professional football. FIFPRO World Players’ Union. https://www.fifpro.org/media/difl314u/2016-fifpro-global-employment-report.pdf
FIFPRO. (2026, October 12). Women’s players considering leaving game early for financial and mental health reasons, FIFPRO report finds. https://www.fifpro.org/en/articles/2026/10/womens-players-considering-leaving-game-early-for-financial-and-mental-health-reasons-fifpro-report-finds
Gouttebarge, V., Bilgoe, S. C., Gorczynski, P., Hitchcock, M. E., Putukian, M., Reardon, C. L., & Kerkhoffs, G. (2026). Supporting the IOC consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of mental health symptoms in elite sports. Sports, 14(7), Article 296. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14070296
Hägglund, M., Waldén, M., Magnusson, H., Kristenson, K., Bengtsson, H., & Ekstrand, J. (2013). Injuries affect team performance negatively in professional football: An 11-year follow-up of the UEFA Champions League injury study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 47(12), 738–742. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092215
Ivarsson, A., Johnson, U., Andersen, M. B., Tranaeus, U., Stenling, A., & Lindwall, M. (2017). Psychosocial factors and sport injuries: Meta-analyses for prediction and prevention. Sports Medicine, 47(2), 353–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0578-x
Libois, E. (2020, April 5). Coronavirus : certains footballeurs sont au bord de la dépression… RTBF. https://www.rtbf.be/article/coronavirus-certains-footballeurs-sont-au-bord-de-la-depression-10475899
Moran, J., Cervera Raga, V., Jones, B., Tallent, J., Howe, L., Clemente, F. M., Arede, J., & Freeman, P. (2024). The identification and development of young talent in Spanish soccer academies: A 10-year multi-study follow-up. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(5), 1984–1994. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541241254767
Pillay, L., Janse van Rensburg, D. C., Ramkilawon, G., Andersen, T. E., Kerkhoffs, G., & Gouttebarge, V. (2024). Don’t forget to mind the mind: A prospective cohort study over 12 months on mental health symptoms in active professional male footballers. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 16, Article 214. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-01005-1
Poli, R., Ravenel, L., & Besson, R. (2019). The demographics of football in the European labour market (CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report no. 49). CIES. https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/mr/mr49/en/
Poli, R., Ravenel, L., & Besson, R. (2024). Origins and destinations of football expatriates (2020–2024) (CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report no. 95). CIES. https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/mr/mr95/en/
Reardon, C. L., Gouttebarge, V., Kroshus-Havril, E., et al. (2026). Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2026). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 60(15), 1083–1130. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-111514
Saarinen, M., Phipps, D. J., & Bjørndal, C. T. (2024). Mental health in student-athletes in Norwegian lower secondary sport schools. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 10(2), Article e001955. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2024-001955
Solmi, M., Radua, J., Olivola, M., et al. (2022). Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: Large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Molecular Psychiatry, 27(1), 281–295. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7
Clubs, academies and agencies
Tell us about your organisation and your needs: we will get back to you to discuss them.
