Revision with unchanged content. It has been noted that there is
comparably little if any, structured and practical support structures in
place to deal with the broader spectrum of emotional and psychological
needs/well-being of high performance or elite athletes. The physical
support base of elite athletes is based on the relationship between
athlete and coach - the very essence of sport. The coach fulfills a
powerful role in being primarily responsible for creating the proper
environment and for transmitting the technical, social, moral and
physical elements of the sport experience to the athlete. The coach
alone is not capable of providing all the advice, expertise and support
required. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) form the basis of
additional support, sometimes extended to family members, in many
organisations. The support provided covers many areas and is based on
the principle that employees with extended personal problems are more
likely to underperform than those who are able to cope with their
problems. Sport, today is unashamedly, even exuberantly big business.
Money has become every sport's life blood. Athletes are under immense
pressure to perform. This potentially leads to a situation where the
needs of the athlete as an ordinary human, being facing the same
problems as everyone else are lost.
