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“Resilience isn’t enough”: why the growth of women’s football could lead to player burnout

Millie Bright (Chelsea Fcw) of England shooting to goal during the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup in France.
Jose Breton- Pics Action/Shutterstock

Helen Owton, The Open University

Women’s football has exploded onto the global stage. Record-breaking crowds, major sponsorships, elite athletes and huge media deals have transformed the sport into a fast-growing spectacle. Its rise may be inspiring, but behind the success, many players are struggling with the growing physical and mental demands of the modern game.

As the game becomes faster and more physically intense, players are expected to deliver top performances across crowded domestic seasons, international tournaments and growing commercial commitments.

Recovery windows are shrinking, while the pressure to remain at peak performance only grows. Physiotherapists have already warned that many female players face burnout, overtraining and a rising risk of injuries due to inadequate rest and recovery time.

With growing visibility also comes increasing scrutiny. Female players now live under the spotlight of social media, where they are expected not only to perform, but to lead, inspire and remain endlessly positive – often while facing online abuse.

Chelsea and England star Fran Kirby has spoken openly about the criticism she has received about her body, especially after injuries or illness when she wasn’t at peak fitness.


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“I get called fat all the time,” she has said, highlighting how online abuse adds another layer of psychological strain that isn’t always visible, but can be deeply harmful.

Mental health is increasingly part of the conversation around women’s football, but real support remains patchy. After the tragic suicide of Sheffield United’s 27-year-old midfielder Maddy Cusack in 2023, the FA commissioned a report into mental health support across the Women’s Super League (WSL).

More players are speaking publicly about the pressures of anxiety, burnout and emotional distress, but access to professional psychological care still depends largely on the resources of individual clubs.

For some players, the psychological toll deepens even further after injury. One study found that professional female footballers are nearly twice as likely to experience psychological distress after undergoing surgery. Yet mental health support during injury recovery remains inconsistent across the WSL.

Millie Bright’s story offers a recent example. The Chelsea and England defender missed much of the 2023-24 season due to injury and, in 2025, withdrew from the England squad citing burnout. She eventually underwent knee surgery and chose to prioritise her rehabilitation over international duty, highlighting the difficult choices players face when balancing physical and emotional wellbeing.

Governing bodies and clubs have a crucial role to play in safeguarding players’ wellbeing. Yet Uefa has come under fire for putting commercial growth ahead of player welfare with its expansion of the women’s Champions League into the new “Swiss model” format.

Instead of facing three opponents twice, teams will now play six different teams during the league phase, splitting those matches home and away. While the extra fixtures may boost visibility and revenue, they also add to an already punishing schedule, heightening the risk of fatigue, injury and burnout for players who are already stretched to the limit.

Financial security remains another major challenge. Some WSL players reportedly earn as little as £20,000 a year, forcing many to juggle full-time jobs or academic studies alongside football.

For mothers in the game, the demands are even higher, as they manage childcare, training, travel and recovery with little institutional support. Maternity policies remain inconsistent, and many players face intense pressure to return quickly to peak form after pregnancy.

Extraordinary resilience

Despite these enormous challenges, female players continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience, paving the way for the next generation. But as a 2024 Health in Education Association report notes, resilience alone isn’t enough. Without proper investment in both physical and mental health services, the long-term wellbeing and careers of these athletes remain at risk.

While mental toughness is often celebrated, research shows that resilience depends heavily on the support structures available. In the WSL, access to mental health care and sports psychology varies dramatically between clubs.

The FA has announced plans to make wellbeing and psychology roles mandatory in WSL licensing, which is a positive step. But for many players, consistent, high-quality support remains far from guaranteed.

There is no doubt that women’s football has finally gained the attention it deserves. But progress must not come at the cost of player welfare. A sustainable future for the sport means investing not just in performance, but in protection: standardised access to physiotherapy, sport psychology and wellbeing professionals for all players, across all clubs.

If the game truly wants to thrive long-term, it must create a culture where players aren’t just expected to perform, but are supported to rest, recover and speak openly about their mental health – without fear, stigma or consequence.The Conversation

Helen Owton, Lecturer in Sport and Fitness, The Open University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The quiet contender of Switzerland hosts Euro 2025

By Dr Helen Owton

With the 2025 Euro Championships coming up, this article explores this year’s tournament and who to watch out for.

Find out more about The Open University’s Sport and Fitness courses and qualifications.

As women’s football continues its rapid global rise, in 2025 all eyes turn to an unexpected yet compelling stage: Switzerland (UEFA, 2025 ). Long considered a quiet contender in the sport due to its slow comparative progress, the Alpine nation now finds itself in a leading role as it prepares to host the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 where global TV audiences could exceed 500 million (Gardner, 2024 ).

While there were earlier attempts to recognise the women’s game in Switzerland, formal engagement with women’s football began late, with official recognition by the Swiss Football Association only in the 1970s (UEFA, 2022 ). For decades, the Swiss Women’s Super League (formally named Nationalliga A) remained semi-professional, limiting domestic opportunities for female athletes (Le Low, 2025 ). While, the country is steadily investing in its football infrastructure, player development, and opportunities for women on and off the pitch, progress is slow. 

Beyond the pitch

Crucially, the game plays a powerful role off the field. In a country where over 25 per cent of the population is made up of foreign nationals, football has become a vital tool for social integration; helping foster community, develop language skills, and build connections, especially among immigrant women (Zwahlen et al., 2018 Bartosik, 2018 ).

Euro 2025, then, is more than just a tournament. It’s planning to be a platform for promoting inclusion, belonging and civic engagement (UEFA, 2025 ).

To reflect this inclusive vision, matches will be held across eight cities including Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva and Sion (UEFA, 2025 ).

Stade de Tourbillion, Sion

Organisers have intentionally structured the matches into regional clusters to ease travel for fans and players; encouraging national engagement and local pride while minimising regional disparities (UEFA, 2025 ). The tournament will not only increase the sport’s visibility domestically but is already driving investments in infrastructure, grassroots programs and media attention – setting the stage for a lasting legacy (UEFA, 2025 ).

Hosting Euro 2025: a national milestone

The Swiss national team qualified for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015, reaching the Round of 16, and repeated this success in 2023 (FIFA, 2023 ). They have also participated in consecutive UEFA Women’s Euros (2017 and 2022), albeit exiting in the group stages (UEFA, 2024 ). With the home crowd behind them, cultural momentum on their side, and football’s broader social impact in focus, how far can Switzerland go?

Switzerland’s chances at Euro 2025

Under the leadership of experienced coach, Pia Sundhage, Switzerland has shown glimpses of potential with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Australia  in a friendly. Switzerland enters Euro 2025 as the host and automatic qualifier, placed in Group A alongside Norway, Iceland and Finland (UEFA, 2024 ). It’s a group filled with balanced yet formidable competition, but Switzerland have their work cut out after they were relegated in the UEFA Women’s National League finishing with just 2 points (Shelat, 2025 ). Euro 2025 power rankings  rank Switzerland as thirteenth.

Teenager Sydney Schertenleib  (18 years old) remains one to watch on the Swiss team – she plays as a midfielder for Primera Federación club FC Barcelona. Too many of their experienced core of players, such as Luana Bühler  (defender for Women’s Super League club Tottenham Hotspur), are injured  might not recover in time. Norway (ranked eighth) poses the greatest threat, while Iceland (ranked twelfth) and Finland (ranked fifteenth) are the weaker teams which make for an unpredictable group stage.

‘Home advantage’

Switzerland is placed as an ‘outsider’, but several factors could tip the balance in their favour – chief among them: home advantageHome advantage  is a phenomenon which has been a hotly debated contentious issue but appears to be very real. Research  suggests that home teams in sport competitions win over 50 per cent of games played under a balanced home and away schedule.

Playing on familiar soil  in front of home crowds across cities like Basel, Geneva and Bern could prove crucial. The emotional lift from local supporters, coupled with minimal travel demands and familiarity with the venues, offers a tangible boost . Historically, host nations  in major tournaments often outperform expectations, and Switzerland will hope to draw on that energy to fuel a deep tournament run. With the country rallying around the team and national pride at stake, Euro 2025 may well be Switzerland’s moment to exceed expectations if momentum builds and inspire the next generation of players and fans.

England and Wales

Meanwhile, England are ranked third and are in a tough group  with France, the Netherlands and Wales. Despite losing three high profile England players – Millie Bright (defender), Fran Kirby (midfielder) and Mary Earps (goalkeeper) – Sarina Wiegman is feeling ‘good’ about their chances at the Euros. For Wales, 2025 marks their first ever appearance  in a major international football tournament. This reflects years of growth and investment in the sport and is expected to inspire future generations and elevate the profile of women’s football in Wales . England and Wales will compete against each other on 13 July 2025 and all games in the UK will be aired on either BBC or ITV .

Take a look at who plays where and when .

London marathon: why you need a plan to prevent the post-race blues

IR Stone/Shutterstock

Helen Owton, The Open University

As the sun rises over the river Thames on marathon day this year, tens of thousands of cheering spectators will fill the streets and a record-breaking 56,000 adrenaline-fuelled runners will gather at the starting line of the TCS London marathon.

At the start of the gun, the stampede of runners will surge forward bringing the streets of London alive with the rhythmic thud of trainers, the sweat of determination, and the roaring of the crowd shouting: “Come on, you can do it!”

The race isn’t just about competition; it’s a celebration of perseverance, passion and overcoming adversity. “Every marathon is up and down, very emotional” says “Britain’s bladerunner” double Paralympic gold medallist Richard Whitehead, who holds the Guinness World Record for fastest double amputee marathon in 2024.

At the finish line, exhaustion is mixed with triumph and runners share in a sense of collective achievement. But, once the race is over, it’s back home to daily tasks; the gruelling demands of the training schedule vanish, and the highs of the marathon can fade quickly.

The low after the high

While marathon runners usually experience a great sense of accomplishment and euphoria after completing a race, it can often be followed by a lingering sense of emptiness.

A 2024 study found that endurance athletes often face a mixture of emotions after a race, both physically and mentally. Their feelings seem to depend on factors like how much time they spent training and their ability to set new goals for the next phase of training.

A comedown after a major event is a common experience for many athletes. After the months of intense training, physical exertion and the emotional high of participating in such a momentous event, the mind and body can experience a crash and “post-marathon blues” can set in as the excitement, adrenaline and sense of purpose and meaning fades.

The post-marathon blues describes mild depression and feelings of emptiness. It’s characterised by increased anxiety levels, depression, burnout and challenges in adjusting back to everyday life.

Set goals, rest and recover

Marathon runners report that it can take between one to eight weeks before they feel their wellbeing return to pre-race levels. While setting goals ahead of time could help alleviate negative emotions after the marathon, attempting to achieve another goal too soon also has its risks, including injury and training plateau.

Eddie Izzard, who ran 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009 and 31 in 31 days in 2020 has been open about the physical toll of running multiple marathons. For some, though, marathon running is a way of life, as “ ultramarathon man” Dean Karnazes explains:

I run because if I didn’t, I’d be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I run to breathe in fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I run … to savour the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that.

Setting a new goal, however, doesn’t have to be another marathon or even another sports-related goal. Reflect on and enjoy the sense of achievement from running a marathon and channel this into other aspects of your life and explore other interests like a DIY project or a hobby.

A post-marathon plan is just as crucial as the pre-marathon training schedule. Proper recovery and continued maintenance of your physical and mental wellbeing are essential for long-term performance, injury prevention and overall health. While there is no one-size-fits-all recovery plan, some suggest a phased recovery, building up to a return to training after adequate recovery time.

In the end, post-marathon blues is a real challenge. Despite the euphoria of such an incredible achievement, experiencing negative emotions is inevitable and something you might not be able to avoid. But post-marathon blues doesn’t have to define the journey. It’s all part of the process. And athletes, if physically and psychologically prepared, can turn the finishing line into a new starting point.The Conversation

Helen Owton, Lecturer in Sport and Fitness, The Open University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Walking the line

By Craig Bowker (OU Sport and Fitness Student)

11 years ago, football saved my life, it was August bank holiday 2011 and work were playing a intercompany football competition between its three insurance brands. Express insurance, Kwik Fit Financial services and Ageas Insurance faced off in an unusually sunny stoke. I’d already been to the doctors and was awaiting a scan for what was a heavy/uncomfortable feeling down below. I was on a 6-week waiting list, and probably should not have played that weekend but sometimes we think we are invincible and to this day I don’t regret my decision to play.

After playing 2 matches something didn’t feel right, and I was in quite a bit of pain. There was a considerable feeling of discomfort and heaviness and a walk that John Wayne would be proud of. The next 48 hrs nothing had changed, and an emergency trip to A&E was required, this turned into a night on the ward and within another 24 hours an emergency operation to effectively save my life.

After the operation, I was prescribed 3 months of Chemotherapy and 5 years of monitoring after the diagnosis of testicular cancer. Touch wood since 2012 I’ve been clear of cancer and as of 2016 not had any follow ups. I know I’m one of the lucky ones. since my fight I’ve lost close family to the terrible disease.

When I was undergoing treatment, the support I received from Macmillan helped me financially and support through their nurses were second to none. Currently we are going through the biggest cost of living crisis since 2008, and the support that Macmillan are currently providing financially are helping patients maintain mortgage payments, keep the heating on, whilst off sick and recovering as well as other support.

To raise funds for Macmillan I’ll be walking the length of offa’s dyke, a 177mile trek that will be attempted in 5 days. To prepare for the challenge I will be doing some training walks, and anyone wishing to join me just needs to turn up on the day for moral support.

If you would like to donate, you can do so by following the Just giving link.

You can also visit my website here.

Event 1, Sunday the 16th of April 2023

Coffee and Cake Meet

Summit of Snowdon (1pm-Onwards)

It would be great to meet some of the OU sports team and OU sports students on the day.

Why are women less celebrated in Sport?

Authored by the team ‘SAVS’: Sonia Ambrose, Vicky-Lea Mills, Abbi Mcdonald, and Scott Forsyth [E119 22J students].

This blog was written as part of a collaborative teamwork task by students studying E119. They had to select a topic and then decide on what roles each person would perform in the team, such as researcher, writer, editor, and leader. This blog was chosen as one of the best blogs from 27 blogs that were produced in January 2023.

 

Within the sporting world, there is the running narrative that if an athlete works hard and achieves amazing feats then they will be immortalised within the pantheon of sporting icons, yet how many of these athletes are female?

Often, within the country’s favourite sports, men take the limelight while women, though equally talented and successful, are within their shadows. A study by USC/Purdue University found that 95% of all TV sports coverage within the US was of men’s sport while only 5% represented women’s (Miller, 2021).  UK research by YouGov (2021), found that 78% of respondents watch more men’s sports, and the same study showed that 31% of respondents said they don’t engage with women’s sport as they struggle to find coverage. This could stem from a lack of media coverage generally, and limited marketing making it difficult to spread awareness of women’s sport.

two women playing soccer on field

Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash

Nowadays we need to look beyond traditional media such as television, newspapers etc., and look at online coverage and social media.  In a recent survey conducted by the BBC (2020), 85% of those who completed the survey didn’t think that the media does enough to promote female sports.  Higher tariff sports gain the most coverage, as do the sports personalities in those arenas. For instance, if we consider footballers on Instagram, we can see that the most followed women’s footballer is Alex Morgan, with 9.8 million followers, compared to the most followed men’s footballer, Cristian Ronaldo, who boasts 534 million. But why such a huge difference? Both players train hard, fight for their sport, and have sponsors, but with reduced amounts of online followers, there is a high risk of reduced financial support. Both a lack of financial support and social media influence affect female athletes’ notoriety and how they are celebrated within sports.

However, if we look at other sports such as tennis the online presence for females appears to be more on par with males. Looking at top British players and their Instagram followers, we see that Emma Raducanu has 2.5 million, while Sir Andy Murray has 1.8 million. It’s impressive that Emma has such a large following when still relatively new to the sport, and considering the vast achievements of Sir Andy over a decade and a half.

There is a stark contrast in media portrayal of female athletes versus their male counterparts. Women are objectified, with more emphasis placed on how the female body looks, not achievements or abilities, ultimately degrading the athlete. While working with the local Government, Edinburgh University found that 22% of female sports media coverage from the UK’s 5 main news outlets could be viewed as sexual content (Davidson, 2019).

yellow and white volleyball on brown sand during daytime

Photo by Miguel Teirlinck on Unsplash

A recent example of the over-sexualisation of women in sport is highlighted by the Norwegian beach handball team’s uniform discrepancy between male and female players within competitions. The Norwegian women’s team were fined due to wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a 2021 match, but made a breakthrough in the sport, changing the rules on uniforms through their stand (Radnofsky, 2021).

This obsession with the female body within and surrounding sport creates an uncomfortable and damaging idea of what the female body should look like and helps lead to athletes, and females in general, having unhealthy relationships with their bodies. BBC Sport (2020) found that 78% of Elite sportswomen surveyed were conscious of their body image.

On the flip side, gymnastics is a sport where women do get a lot of promotion and media coverage, but it is also deemed a predominantly female sport. Veronique Sprenger, a former first-division gymnast, explained that whilst the media coverage is female-dominated and females normally earn more than males, the stream of income is limited. She also expressed that gymnastics is sexualised, and most athletes find the uniforms to make them feel uncomfortable (Ibrahim and Spregner, 2022). Although gymnastic outfits need to be streamlined and complement the sport, the athletes can feel exposed and exploited.

Consistent media sexualization of female athletes is likely a factor in less media coverage of the most notable protagonists i.e., many performers may choose not to be splashed across the media and attain celebrity status, just for doing what they may class as their job! The pressure on females to comply or fit in with magazine life and image is very damaging, especially when professional athletes have much more to focus on.

It could be suggested that the main reason that women athletes don’t receive the same levels of fame as male athletes is the lack of media coverage they receive. Although it appears that sponsorships of women’s sports and athletes are on the rise in very recent times, it is logical to surmise that companies will not be prepared to invest in women’s sport the same way that they do men’s if it is not covered in the media more. Although from another standpoint you could argue that the media are not going to cover women’s sport more unless they have a greater investment through sponsorship to begin with. However, it is not all doom and gloom! Women’s sponsorships have increased by 20% over 2022 with the biggest sponsor being Nike (Sponsor United, 2022). In September 2022 history was made when 47,367 spectators attended the Women’s FA match Arsenal vs Tottenham in the Emirates Stadium (Statista, 2022). And who can forget the moment the Lionesses tore their way into British history, which was plastered on every screen, radio, and billboard? These moments and levels of celebration are what we must recreate and normalise for women to ever be truly celebrated in sport and inspire the next generation of female athletes.

References 

BBC Sport. (2020) BBC elite British sportswomen’s survey results. BBC Sport. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/53593459

 

Davison, G. (2019) Women’s sport under-reported and over-sexualised says new research. The Scotsman. Available at: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/womens-sports-under-reported-and-over-sexualised-says-new-research-1406411

 

Ibrahim, M. Sprenger, V. (2022) From football to gymnastics: gender inequality is everywhere. Sportanddev.org. Available at: https://www.sportanddev.org/en/article/news/football-gymnastics-gender-inequality-everywhere

 

Miller, J. (2021) News media still pressing the nut button on women’s sport. USC News. Available at:

https://news.usc.edu/183765/womens-sports-tv-news-coverage-sportscenter-online-usc-study/

 

Radnofsky, C. (2021) Norways beach handball team wins fight over sexist uniform rules. NBC News. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/norways-beach-handball-team-win-fight-sexist-uniform-rules-rcna4218

 

Sponsor United. (2022) Women in sports 2022. Sponsor United. Available at: https://sponsorunited.com/women-sports-2022-report/

 

Statista Research Department. (2022) All-time highest attendances in the English FA WSL 2022. Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1323174/england-womens-super-league-record-attendances/

 

YouGov. (2021) Women in sport report 2021. YouGov. Available at:

https://commercial.yougov.com/rs/464-VHH-988/images/YouGov-Women-in-sport-wp.pdf?mkt_tok=NDY0LVZISC05ODgAAAGJMlV6W9v6qpZ4FrMpRj9IEk4Wxe886mChDew9GFukC0ERR7YS2s5rJlIwLxFweCSBuYaHl58GEl-y0Lu3QRXwy5WV2bfGhh7WeCY415JiopH9

 

 

 

Racism in Football: The Rise of Social Media Abuse

Authored by the team ‘Hydra’: Keeley Whittle, John Lees, Charlie Norton, Dean Spencer, Alisha Stark, and Paul Storey [E119 22J students].

This blog was written as part of a collaborative teamwork task by students studying E119. They had to select a topic and then decide on what roles each person would perform in the team, such as researcher, writer, editor, and leader. This blog was chosen as one of the best blogs from 27 blogs that were produced in January 2023.

 

The 2020 EUFA European Football Championship, held in 2021, was the first time England’s men’s senior team would reach a major tournament final in 55 years since their World Cup victory at Wembley in 1966. Although they would go on to lose on penalties to the tournament winners Italy – this achievement should have been a celebration of how well Southgate’s team performed. Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by vicious attacks on social media against the three black players who missed their penalties. This is just one of the examples in recent memory of the racism and abuse that black players receive daily from faceless trolls on social media.

The Rise of Abuse

Even before the rise of social media, racism in football was nothing new. In 1993 the ‘Kick it Out’ campaign was set up to try and fight against discrimination in sport. They run programmes alongside campaigns to ensure football is always welcoming to everyone – both online and offline. Despite the best efforts made, racist abuse in English football is rising.

soccer stadium

Photo by Thomas Serer on Unsplash

Per a study conducted by The Alan Turing Institute (Ofcom, 2022) 2.3 million tweets were directed at Premier League footballers in the first 5 months of the 21-22 season. Although only 3.5%, over 80 thousand, of these were deemed as abusive – that is still a large number in total that is creating a serious risk of harm to the players – especially when you consider that 50% of these abusive social media attacks were aimed at a very small proportion of Premier League players.

This was also reflected in published summaries made to ‘Kick it Out’, with a staggering 54% of those reports relating to racism. (Kick it out, 2022)

Is Social Media football’s issue to solve?

However, the question is raised whether the football associations can successfully tackle racism on social media platforms themselves, as they have little power or influence in the realm of the Tech Giants. As where racial abuse is seen and reported, it is the social media platforms that need to act.

Many clubs have stated they want better regulation of social media so that there is “swifter removal of offensive messages and improved identification and banning of offenders”. In 2021, English football announced a social media boycott, in which all players and clubs would switch off their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, in response to the ongoing discriminatory abuse received by players, knowing that although it will not stop the abuse from occurring – it demonstrates that they are willing to take proactive steps against the abuse (Premier League, 2021).

Has there been any change?

Online offences have only ever been covered by the Communications Offences Legislation, mainly through the Protection and Harassment Act 1997 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988 (Legislation.gov.uk 2023). In 2022, it was announced that an update to the ‘Online Safety Bill’ was to be made, and that hate crime will now be written on the face of the Bill as a priority illegal offence. This means that social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, would be forced to proactively identify and remove abusive content, as opposed to other users reporting the comments. This bill will also include criminalising threatening behaviour by creating new online offences. This means that it would give the police more powers to convict online offenders (The FA, 2022)

However, as of this writing, the bill has not yet passed the House of Lords (UK Parliament, 2022)

Although this bill is yet to pass, convictions of users committing online abuse are beginning to be seen. In 2021, a 43-year-old Cheshire man was sentenced for racial abuse against England Players after the Euro 2020 (Sky, 2021) with his only defence being he wanted to “make people laugh” and didn’t believe his comments would be considered racist.

white and blue soccer ball on green grass field

Photo by Connor Coyne on Unsplash

What can we do?

As users of social media platforms, there are several small ways we can help tackle online racism. Not only should we report any abusive comments we see to social media platforms to get them removed, but also to charities such as Kick it out who create statistics that can be used as strong evidence to show the Government that changes need to be implemented and push for the Online Safety Bill to be completed.

Final Thoughts

It goes without saying that a large majority of online fans will have seen numerous campaigns from online abuse charities, such as ‘Kick it out’ and ‘Unite against racism’ and have been educated on the harms of online abuse. However, this just means they know just how vile their comments are, and it emboldens them to continue as they know they are inciting reactions. Until the threat of real punishment becomes a reality with the Online Safety Bill these trolls are unlikely to change their ways.

 

References

Kick It Out (2023) Kick it out: Reporting statistics. [Online]  https://www.kickitout.org/reporting-statistics  (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

Legislation.gov.uk (2023), ‘The National Archives’  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/primary+secondary/1988?title=communications (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

Ofcom (2022) Ofcom: Tracking twitter abuse against online players. [PDF] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/242218/2021-22-tracking-twitter-abuse-against-premier-league-players.pdf  (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

Premier League (2021) English football announces social media boycott. [Online] https://www.premierleague.com/news/2116111 (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

Sky News (2021) Cheshire man sentenced for racist abuse of England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after Euro 2020 final [online] https://news.sky.com/story/cheshire-man-sentenced-for-racist-abuse-of-england-players-marcus-rashford-jadon-sancho-and-bukayo-saka-after-euro-2020-final-12402403 (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

Sky News (2022) Teenager jailed for sending racist tweet to Marcus Rashford after Euro 2020 final [online] https://news.sky.com/story/teenager-jailed-for-sending-racist-tweet-to-marcus-rashford-after-euro-2020-final-12578310 (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

The FA (2022) The FA and Kick It Out have welcomes an update to the online safety bill  (Accessed on 21st January 2023)

UK Parliament (2023) Parliamentary Bills: Online Safety Bill [Online] https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137 (Accessed on 23rd January 2023)

 

 

The student reality of studying with dyslexia and using software

By Yasmin Reeve

An Audio recording of this blog article can be found on this link.

Firstly, I want to welcome you to my blog post. I am a student with Open University studying a Sports, Fitness and Coaching degree. I am a student that is studying with a learning difficulty – dyslexia. I make use of software to enable me to complete my study, more specifically I use a screen reader and dictation software. Recently I had a really productive conversation with a tutor about how this affects me as a student and some of the things that I specifically need when it comes to TMA feedback, as well as explaining the process that I go through in order to write my TMAs. This has led to me making this blog post with a few main focuses. Mainly I want to reassure students that they aren’t alone when studying using the software previously mentioned and how they can go about getting support. Secondly, I want to give educators a glimpse into my world and its affect it has on me as a student to help them better support students who are also using this software.

Starting at the OU

I found out I was dyslexic whilst sitting my GCSEs at secondary school. I was consistently told that I would never amount to anything in my life and never achieve higher education, so I gave up on the education system. I went out to work full time but as the years went by, I realised that I still wanted to be studying and achieve a degree. I very quickly realised for many reasons that a brick university wouldn’t work for me and then found out about the OU and thought ‘I can do this’. I went through the process of applying for Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) and was really lucky to get an understanding assessor. My assessor went through what I struggle with and then suggested the use of dictation software and screen readers. I’d never used them in my life, so I was really excited to be sold the idea that this puts me on an equal level as my peers who don’t have dyslexia. DSA went through training with me on how to use the software and it was at this moment my heart sank a little. I realised the true reality of the fact that this software doesn’t suddenly eliminate my problem of really struggling to read and write, I realised just how much of a lengthy process it would be for me to get anything done and there was a point where I thought ‘there is no way I am going to be able to do this, I’m not smart enough or even capable of doing this!’ But I was already signed up and I’d gone through all the paperwork and assessments so figured I had nothing to lose from giving it a go. If it didn’t work out, then the teachers back in secondary school were right I would never achieve higher education! The module website finally opened up and I had all this software, so I gave it a go. I can remember my first conversation with my tutor about my needs as a student and I was too embarrassed to tell them about the fact I was using a screen reader and dictation software. It’s only this year – my third year of study – that I braved even telling my tutor about the struggles of using this software and how they could adapt what they were doing to help me succeed more.

Writing a TMA

The process of writing a TMA for me is a ridiculously lengthy process with so much back and forwards between different documents and trying to dictate to my laptop what it is that I want to write. I think for people who don’t experience dyslexia imagine being asked a question on a topic that you know nothing about and being given a short time period to answer that question on the spot. Your brain is trying to come up with something to say but whilst you’re saying that you’re thinking about where you are going next with that sentence, and then suddenly a fact pops into your head relating to that topic but you know you need to say it instantly or you will forget it. That is what I go through in order to write my plans for TMAs but also to actually write my TMAs. One big problem with this is that I am mid- sentence and waiting for it to come up on my laptop screen in order to then add in the next point that had popped into my brain, so everything becomes one jumbled mess and it’s not easy for me to go back through and edit everything I’ve effectively just written into some sort of structure!

I am sat there having my screen reader read back to me what I’ve written whilst trying to keep up with my eyes at the speed its reading at so that I can stop it to move the last few sentences around and then get the screen reader to read it out again to me to see if it now makes a little bit more sense. (To give you an idea on how lengthy this process is my screen reader only reading to the end of the last sentence took 9 minutes and I was struggling to visually follow along at that speed!). The way that a screen reader works is that every word or sometimes even letter is recorded individually, and it places them all together to read what’s on the screen. You end up with random pauses and that can lead you to think punctuation might be needed there when it isn’t, it’s just a flaw in the screen reader. Or sometimes you think you have added in the punctuation needed due to the screen reader having read that piece of text as if the punctuation was there.

One big problem for me is that I get the screen reader to read out three sentences of my plan because that’s realistically all I can remember to then switch documents to start dictating the TMA based off the three sentences I’ve just heard, then I get the screen reader to read back what I’ve just dictated and go through this process repeatedly! Writing references is also ridiculously difficult to dictate, making sure that you are saying things like “comma, full stop and dash” in the right places and making sure that it has got the spelling correct of a name that you have just said. It’s hard! Writing my first TMA quite literally took me a week of working on it every single day for many hours at a time. The light at the end of the tunnel is that I have got quicker with using the software but am I at the equivalent of someone without dyslexia and who isn’t using this software – not even close!  But, at this point though part way through my third year of study I have proven to myself that it is possible to achieve my goal of getting a degree and that my hard work and effort is paying off and I am doing it, and I am proving all the teachers at secondary school wrong.

My advice to students and tutors

So, if you’re a student reading this and just starting your degree, stick with it – you’ve got this! If you’re a student who is part way through your degree and struggling speak to your tutor about this and speak to DSA to see if they can suggest anything to you and don’t be embarrassed about it, take pride in who you are and everything you have achieved so far! If you’re a student just about to start your degree make sure to tell your tutor you’re using this software and don’t be afraid to communicate your needs and update them as you move through your study, tell them what was useful in the feedback you got and what wasn’t useful and suggest ways for them to adapt.

If you are an educator and are reading this, try and find some dictation software and try to use it. Go through a TMA using a screen reader to truly get a bit more of an understanding what your some of your students are going through. Give more specific feedback than “punction needed here or reference not correct”, actually explain what’s needed and why it was needed or incorrect. Open up communication between yourself and your student to understand the process that they are potentially going through in order to write their TMAs and show a level of understanding of the process they may be going through. Remind your students that you truly appreciate and see their attempt at answering TMA questions. Lastly make sure to ask your students what they need from you as their tutor, make the effort to ask them about if everything made sense in the feedback that you have given and offer that time to explain things in more depth if needed.

  • If you are a student and require information and guidance on disability support please click here.
  •  If you are a tutor and require information and resources on supporting students with a disability please click here.

The Thrill of Motorcycling: Quest for Flow

By Helen Owton

As the British Superbike season comes to an end this month, it’s an opportunity to understand why individuals engage in such ‘risky’ activities. Traditionally, extreme sports are associated with thrill seekers with a ‘death wish’ or adrenaline junkies searching for their next thrill (Brymer and Schweitzer, 2013). Brymer and Schweitzer (2013), however, argue that these individuals can be highly trained individuals with a deep knowledge of themselves, the activity, and the environment, who seek an experience that is life-enhancing and life-changing.  Extreme sport participants face intense fears, accept that control of the future is not always possible and move through these fears to participate fully in the action and make choices to reduce risk and enhance personal control (Brymer and Schweitzer, 2013; Crust et al., 2019). Csikzentmihalyi (1997) noted that “People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy.”

The burble of my exhaust unwound like a long cord behind me. Soon my speed snapped it, and I heard only the cry of the wind… The cry rose with my speed to a shriek: while the air’s coldness streamed like two jets of iced water into my dissolving eyes. I screwed them to slits, and focused my sight ahead of me on the empty mosaic of the tar’s gravelled undulations.

Like arrows the tiny flies pricked my cheeks: and sometimes a heavier body, some housefly or beetle, would crash into face or lips like a spent bullet. A glance at the speedometer: 78. Boanerges[1] is warming up. I pull the throttle right open, on the top of the slope, and we swoop, flying across the dip, and up-down the switchback beyond: the weighty machine launching itself like a projectile with a whirr of wheels into the air at the take-off of each rise, to land lurchingly with such a snatch of the driving chain as jerks my spine like a rictus (Laurence of Arabia, The Mint, Part III, Chpt 16, 1955).

Lawrence of Arabia wrote stories about the thrill of riding motorcycles which captures the sense of freedom, excitement and adventure that many experience. There may be risks attached to pursue those experiences, but new adventures and unique experiences can cultivate joy, fulfilment, enhance confidence and resilience, and provide an opportunity to grow and expand one’s sense of self. Indeed, motorcyclists are often “driven to conquer new challenges and soak up every experience life has to offer” (Carter, 2019; Psychology Today, 2021, para 2). Pirsig (1991) articulates this in the following paragraph:

In a car, you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realise that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.

The thrill, ‘adrenaline rush’ and intense sensory experience motorcyclists may experience from riding (Sato, 1988) can be understood through the concept of ‘flow’. Csíkszentmihályi (1997) has studied the phenomenon of flow extensively and describes it as an optimal psychological state, which enables athletes to optimise their potential and to perform at their personal best. “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). Jackson and Csíkszentmihályi (1999) designated nine antecedents of flow, which are termed: challenge-skills balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, time transformation and autotelic experience. An ‘autotelic’ person is described as doing things for their own sake, low sense of self-centredness, strong sense of persistence, low need for power, and needing few material possessions.  Such a person tends to experience flow more frequently and there is a positive association between flow and conscientiousness (Ullén et al., 2012). These experiences can be derived in the course of participating in an activity, such as high-risk sports, like motorcycling.

Csikszentmihalyi suggests that for someone to fully enjoy high-risk pursuits, the level of danger must be proportionate to the participants’ level of ability. In order to induce flow, it is about balancing the level of skill with the challenge we are faced with (Nakamura et al., 2009). The capacity to experience flow, however, can differ from person to person and some argue there is a difference between flow state and ‘clutch’ state. Clutch state is similar to being “in the zone” but described as being able to make it happen when you need to switch on during important moments in a performance. Clutch performances occur under particular pressure conditions and where there’s an important outcome. Clutch performances are comprised of focus, heightened awareness, and intense effort whereas flow states are viewed as effortless attention and automatic experiences (Swann and Goddard, 2020). Flow states are more aligned with “letting it happen” whereby confidence develops naturally whereas clutch states are associated with “making it happen” where there is a sudden increase in concentration and effort (Swann et al., 2015). In order to activate flow states or clutch states, there has been an association with certain goal types. For example, open goals such as “do your best” goals are more associated with inducing flow states, whereas specific goals with a fixed outcome such as “winning a race” and setting a task specific goal to “ride at 100mph round the next corner to overtake the next rider” in order to achieve that outcome is associated with ‘clutch’ performances. It is likely that, in reality, there is a shifting or slippage in and out of the states and a blurring between and within the states.

Nonetheless, there are similarities within the two states and Cole (2017) suggests an 80% rule of attention and engagement and cautions against 100% capacity which could result in disaster. As demonstrated on a track day in Owton (in press), attentional shifts when riding a motorcycle means that working at 100% can make one feel overwhelmed, whereas once distractions are reduced, skills improve, and enjoyment is enhanced from moments of being ‘in the zone’. In this way, flow isn’t just an enjoyable state of being, it is about learning to direct your attention, gain independence from exterior rewards, and ultimately, living a happy and fulfilled life. Notably, however, a mistake in motorcycling at speed and pushing one’s abilities too far has fatal consequences (Murphy, 2016). Motorcycling, like other high-risk sports, requires a sharpening of senses, meticulous preparation, high work rates, swift recovery following setbacks and thriving in challenging situations (Crust et al., 2019).  As Cole (2017) notes, therefore, it is important to set ourselves appropriate challenges and be attuned to one’s senses by anticipating, listening to engine sounds, being cool under pressure, being attuned to a constantly moving environment at speed, and positioning the body-motorcycle effectively round the corner such as riding a ‘racing line’ (Owton, in press).

As I feel myself flow through the air, my hand on the throttle squeezing it towards me, picking up speed, feeling the air press against me harder as I gain speed. My lid protects me from the air pressing too hard on my face and the wind making eyes water. I listen to the sound of the engine growling, working hard, getting louder as the right time comes to change gear, then I quickly close the throttle swiftly enough not to feel the motorcycle slow down as I flick my toe up and click into the next gear. Listening acutely to the sound and feel indicates I can squeeze the throttle and gain speed again. This is known as quick shifting manually (not using the clutch). The connection between my hands, my feet, and the motorcycle, works best when I’m not thinking, when I’m just feeling the way and am at one with my motorcycle. Once I’ve reached top gear, there’s a smoothness with the ride; I feel like I’m flying. I’m completely alert but I’m in a trance of speed with endorphins raging through my body (Owton, 2021).

While there can be high risks involved in motorcycling, participation in such activities can facilitate more positive psychological experiences and allow people to experience freedom and re-connect with nature (Brymer and Schweitzer, 2013).

References

Carter, K. (2019). Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies. Cambridge University Press.

Crust, L. Swann, C. & Allen-Collinson, J. (2019) Mentally tough behaviour in extreme environments: perceptions of elite high-altitude mountaineers, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(3), 334-347.

Csíkszentmihályi, M. (1997). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. New York: HarperCollins.

Jackson, S. & Csíkszentmihályi M. (1999). Flow in sports. Champaign: Human Kinetics.

Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow theory and research. Handbook of positive psychology, 195-206.

Owton, H. (2021). Quest for Freedom: Intense Embodied Experiences of Motorcycling. Cultural Studies: Critical Methodologies, Vol 22, No. 2, p.154-162. Available here.

Pirsig, R. M. (1999). Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance: An inquiry into values. Random House.

Sato, I. (1988). Bosozoku: Flow in Japanese motorcycle gangs. In M. Csikszentmihalyi & I. Csikszentmihalyi (Eds.), Optimal Experience: Psychological Studies of Flow in Consciousness (pp. 92-117). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ullén, F., de Manzano, Ö., Almeida, R., Magnusson, P. K., Pedersen, N. L., Nakamura, J., … & Madison, G. (2012). Proneness for psychological flow in everyday life: Associations with personality and intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences52(2), 167-172.

[1] Lawrence nicknamed his motorcycle a Brough Superior SS100 Boanerges (Boa) meaning “son of thunder” in Aramaic.

Meet another of our Student Voice Champions

As our last article explained Student Voice Champions have been recruited to represent Sport and Fitness. You previously met Chris and Yasmin and this article introduces our third champion, Will.

My name is Will, I am a Level 2 Sport and Fitness student and I will be starting my final year this coming October. When I’m not studying, I currently work as a garden landscaper        and I am a coach at my local running club taking different ability groups. Another one of my passions is Triathlon, after starting a few years ago it has become a big part of my life, it helps me keep fit and I enjoy completing new challenges. My biggest achievement to date was completing a half-ironman in 5 hours 10 minutes. I am also a keen golfer and recently I achieved my first hole in one.

I decided that I wanted to be a student voice rep to promote mental health. Due to the current situation we find ourselves in, I think many OU students could benefit from more support whether this is just someone to talk to or more support from OU staff. I will do my very best to ensure that this support is in place for you. Please feel free to get in contact with me if there is anything you need.

Twitter: @GoreWill

Email: zx674027@ou.ac.uk

Meet two of our Student Voice Champions

Student Voice Champions have been recruited to represent Sport and Fitness. These new and exciting roles are designed for students to have a voice and share opinions and ideas  that represent those on the qualification which have the potential to inform the student experience. Your Student Voice Champions have been selected as they are passionate about having a voice as students and wellbeing as well as wider influences such as curriculum design and content, equality and diversity, promoting good mental health and other topics which are important for student success.

Meet two of your Student Voice Reps below:

My name is Chris Nash and I am a Level 1 student. Outside of my OU study I work as a data manager looking after timetabling, academic data and exam results analysis for a secondary school and sixth form in Dorset. I’m also a permanent wheelchair user and profoundly deaf, and until recently was a wheelchair racer participating in elite road races up to marathon distance (and had fun doing so!).

My experiences with my disabilities have also contributed to mental health struggles and alongside tirelessly fighting for a level playing field for those with disabilities I am also a passionate advocate for providing support for those struggling with their mental health. I love interacting with others both face to face and online and hope you will find me very approachable. I’m always ready to listen if there is something you would like to share, or indeed if you just need someone to talk to – and I love hearing and sharing success stories too!

Feel free to get in touch via Twitter @blackberrychris

My name is Yasmin, I’m one of the very lucky students who is a part of the Student voice team. Some facts about me are that I’m 25, mad about disability sport and love learning new things, when we aren’t in lockdown I’m often found hiding at the gym. I am very keen to represent students and make sure our voices are heard, if we all work together then big changes can happen. I’m coming back to studying after finishing my GCSE’s I went straight into working in design. My life got flipped over and I now live life with multiple disabilities and as much as I love design, I love sport and fitness more. I have my qualification in coaching wheelchair basketball and have been involved in wheelchair sport for the past 7 years. I like to think I’m approachable and anyone is welcome to reach out about absolutely anything using my email Yr474@ou.ac.uk.

For more information on Student Voice please visit the Student Voice page of the Sport and Fitness Website.