A Minds at Peace Foundation programme
OFF THE PITCH
Mental health beyond the scoreline.
OFF THE PITCH is the foundation’s programme for mental health in sport. It works with athletes from grassroots and academy level to the professional game, and with the clubs, coaches and governing bodies around them.
Strength is not the same as silence.
Athletes are trained to push through pain. Sporting culture rewards those who never show weakness, and for many South Asian athletes those expectations are reinforced at home. Performance pressure, injury, selection, public scrutiny, online abuse and the end of a career can each take a heavy toll, often out of sight of fans and, at times, of teammates.
Sport is where many young people first learn about discipline, resilience and pressure. It should also be where they learn that asking for help is part of being strong.
Where the pressure falls.
- Performance and expectation. The weight of results, selection and the expectations of coaches, family and fans.
- Injury and recovery. The physical setback, and the isolation and loss of identity that can come with it.
- Scrutiny and online abuse. Public criticism that follows players home, often amplified by race and religion.
- Transition and retirement. Life after the final whistle, when the routine, the team and the identity disappear at once.
- Young and academy players. Talented young people carrying adult pressure, and the many who are released before they make it.
What the programme does.
- 1
Voices from the game.
Athletes and former athletes share their experiences through campaigns, interviews and short films, making it normal to talk about mental health in sport.
- 2
Clubs and academies.
Practical guidance for coaches, staff and parents on recognising when a player is struggling, and what to do next.
- 3
Pathways to support.
Connecting athletes with credible, confidential professional help, including specialists who understand both sport and culture.
When the players people admire speak openly, the conversation reaches far beyond the dressing room.
Who we work with.
OFF THE PITCH spans cricket, football and other sports, from community grounds to the professional game.
- Athletes and former athletes
- Clubs and academies
- Governing bodies and leagues
- Player associations
- Coaches, parents and youth organisations
- Sport and media partners
Join the team.
If you are an athlete, a club or a sporting organisation, we would like to hear from you.
Need help now?
If you are in immediate danger
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services now.
United Kingdom
- 999Emergency services, if a life is at risk.
- 111NHS 111. Choose the mental health option for urgent help.
- 116 123Samaritans. Free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Text SHOUT to 85258Shout. Free, confidential, 24/7 text support.
Pakistan
- 1122Rescue 1122 emergency service.
India
- 14416 or 1-800-891-4416Tele-MANAS, the national mental-health helpline. Free, 24/7, in multiple languages.
Minds at Peace is an awareness, advocacy and support-access organisation. It is not an emergency service and does not replace qualified medical or mental-health professionals.
For non-emergency concerns, consider speaking with a qualified mental-health professional. We add numbers only after checking them with the service, and our list grows as our resource directory develops.
UK numbers checked with Samaritans, the NHS and Shout. Rescue 1122 checked with the Punjab Emergency Service. Tele-MANAS checked against Government of India sources. October 2026.