Llandrindod Lakers: An Invitation to Play.

by guest author Jimi

I would like to invite you to play basketball with us. You’re probably thinking “don’t you need to be 7ft tall?” and the truth is no, you really don’t.

My name is Jimi and I run a social basketball group in Llandrindod Wells. As an adult on the autism spectrum, access to sports, especially competitive sports, has always been challenging. After what was a dark, difficult and strayed 24 years of my life, I was eventually diagnosed with autism less than a year ago and I remember how unhelpful and overwhelming the post-diagnosis support thrown at me was. I was also in a pit of depression and constant anxiety at the time and my bipolar was running free and naked in the boggy marsh of my mind.

Through many other coarse experiences with mental health services, I have found that they can be congested with inflexible bureaucratic principles, galactic waiting times, a lack of resources as well as education and empathy, mountainous referrals and far too clinical to make a real and natural connection with an individual. There is also an addict-like reliance on prescribing pharmaceuticals: the irony.

The signposting on signposting on signposting played out like Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham, except my ending left Sam-I-Am to his rare refreshment and I decided to go it alone to start writing a new book to break the cycle (neither literary nor literally, just to make that clear).

I’d been in this state too many times for too long, repeating the same patterns that I knew could lead to a fifth suicide attempt. I’d had enough and it was up to me to do something about it or rot. I set off with my figurative notepad and pen to discover what positivity and wellbeing meant to me. Now I must mention here that I didn’t start playing basketball again and my mental health problems disappeared overnight, I don’t want to say it would be impossible but (reluctantly) this would be impossible.

“Know thyself.”

After a men’s process work retreat facilitated by a very dear friend of mine, Scott McGregor, and his counterpart, Laurence Johns, I decided to completely unmask. Simply put ‘masking’ is a strategy many neurodivergent, especially autistic, people do to appear neurotypical in front of others and, in terms of energy and wellbeing, it is decimating.

For me, unmasking has been arduous yet rewarding and I’m still working through it. The retreat itself was at the height of last year’s summer set in the gorgeous hills of Llanafan Fawr, disconnected from the noise of modern life and totally wholesome. This part of my life was a major turning point and with the support of other vulnerable and beautiful men, it showed me that the answers and contentment I’ve been desperately trying to latch on to were actually within myself, not out to the exterior world or with material objects or romantic relationships. I’d been unwittingly running away from that truth my entire adult life.

Enter basketball.

I’ve always enjoyed playing since my friend introduced it to me in primary school. It was different to the other mainstream sports on the playground; the play was faster, more intense, more tactile and we didn’t need to face rejection, we could just pick up our ball and play. It was at the height of the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls fever that was gripping the globe and a popular interest in basketball was gaining traction here in the UK. Other kids soon took notice and, of course, we let them all join us.

Fast forward to 2023. I mentioned in passing to a then work colleague, now teammate, how I wished to play again: serendipity rides shotgun. He invited me to come along to play with a group down the road, the Builth Bulls, and after that first session back my fire was reignited.

Once a week could not sate my appetite for hitting those sweet buckets so a few of us ‘Llandodites’ decided to set something up closer to home and more regular throughout the week. Within a month I was finding a direct correlation between the progress I was making during practice and the progress in the rest of my life.

As more players were stepping onto our court, I kept thinking about all the other people in similar situations to me who perhaps felt that the system was letting them down, especially in a rural area such as ours. I feel obligated to do more to let them know that all their eccentricities, fears and insecurities are so welcome on our court. Basketball can take you through a lot of emotions and feelings; frustration and elation, fatigue and determination, inflation and deflation, anger and humour. It’s good to recognise them and work through them in a safe way. You work a lot with action and reaction which are very valuable tools you can then use out in the world beyond the court.

So this is what I’m offering my fellow neurodivergent peers; the opportunity to play in a space where it doesn’t matter who you are or what’s going on off the court, for an hour only basketball matters. A supportive environment to compliment whatever care or health journey you find yourself on. If you don’t relate to any of the issues I’ve spoken about, that truly is wonderful and of course you are welcome to play with us.

Psychologists and teachers say that children learn through play, but I find that to only be a half-truth: people best learn through play. I’ve learnt more about myself through sharing experiences where my sense of humour and curiosity can move freely and being inspired through connecting with others, Llandrindod Lakers has been a huge part of that and I hope anyone reading this will find their power within to do something new. Play.

Helping Mental Health With A Ball - a member's testimony

Becoming a resident to Powys in 2021 I had reached out to several sports and social clubs. Dishearteningly, most of which never got back to me. I re-attempted late 2023, predominantly from a physical health viewpoint and came across a post on a local group solution page regarding basketball. I’ve always been an admirer of the sport from afar but was typically pushed towards either football or individual workouts, for which I had no affinity.

Since joining, I’ve been taken aback of how much the group has helped mentally, from the initial welcome and the encouragement thereafter. I’ve found myself eager and excited for not only the session but week ahead. Which has translated to each aspect of my life. I’m proud to have found great friends here and an outlet for stress, anxiety and healthy competition.

Combining a welcoming group of local people with a sport that has a rich, diverse and inclusive history has surely been a winning experience for me.

Llandrindod Lakers have open basketball sessions on Mondays 6 – 7pm and 

Fridays 6.30 – 7.30pm at Llandrindod Wells Sports Centre.

Find out more on the Llandrindod Lakers' Facebook page.

Our team Get Active for positive mental health!

Owen Griffkin, Mental Health Participation Officer, on a walk with PAVO colleagues

There is plenty of evidence that getting active is beneficial to your mental health. The Mental Health Foundation and Mind have both written extensively on the subject, and in previous blog posts we have featured Be Active as one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

This summer of sport we asked the members of our PAVO Health & Wellbeing team: “How does a sport or physical activity that you take part in impact positively on your mental health and emotional wellbeing…?"

Here are some of the team's favourite ways to exercise to good mental health.

Andrew Davies - Participation Officer, Health & Wellbeing

Tug of War

For the past two years members of our local young farmers' club have competed in the tug of war competition in the county Rally. The team is in its early years so far. 

I have taken the role of assistant coach which has been a privilege and has also helped with my mental health. It means that I get to spend time in a more masculine company, as working in a more feminine work environment and living with two daughters I do not spend much time in the company of other men. It is something that I did not realise I missed until having that time.

Ceri Williams - formerly a Health & Promotion Facilitator, now a Community Connector

Pilates

Pilates for me is grounding. Now that I am able to do a live class from my home I feel I can relax in to it more and can hold on to the peacefulness through the evening and there is no self consciousness if I suddenly realise I can’t hold the pose for long.

Jackie Newey - Mental Health Information Officer

Drystone walling

I don’t go to a gym but for me drystone walling is the “green” equivalent of “pumping iron” in our garden. It involves gathering, and then arranging, many extremely heavy rocks! And before that the wall foundations have to be dug.

I have to concentrate so hard on finding the best shaped rocks for the wall that it takes my mind to a completely different place, away from any day-to-day worries and wholly immersed in the activity.

The sheer physical effort of lifting the rocks into place surely releases some feel good factor exercise hormones! The walls can take some time to build. Time well spent in regard to my mental wellbeing.

Jen Hawkins - Communications Officer / Health & Wellbeing Information Officer

Spin class

Jen on a smoothie bike at a recent staff day!

I was missing my endorphin high from running due a knee injury and needed something to replace it. I love walking and swimming but I don’t get quite the same benefits to my mental or physical health. I’d avoided Spinning for years as the thought of taking part in a spin class terrified me. As a last resort I pushed myself to join a class last year. I was completely out of my comfort zone, I didn’t know anyone and was really nervous. It was hard work and I knew I’d had a work out at the end of the session.

To my surprise I loved it. The pace of the class, the music and the sense of achievement, whilst feeling part of a group and getting to know new people, gave me a real mental boost when I was feeling incredibly low and not myself at all. I’ve now got more of a spring in my step and I’ll continue to spin even when I start running again.

Lucy Taylor - Startwell Officer

Horseriding

I love horse riding and would like to do more. When you ride it is a partnership with the horse, you cannot ride without their cooperation. I think it helps your mental health as horses ask nothing from you, nothing more than you can give that day. They are very good listeners and do not ask questions. The daily tasks of mucking out and grooming give you a repetitive task that is relaxing.

Owen Griffkin - Participation Officer, Mental Health

Tennis

Now the sun is trying its best to return from its winter break, I have started playing more tennis at Llandrindod Tennis Club. I’ve even joined the league team, playing in the Montgomeryshire League. I’ve really enjoyed it so far and found it very beneficial for my physical and mental wellbeing.

Sharon Healey - Head of Health, Wellbeing & Partnerships

Walking & cycling

I start most days with a 1.5 mile walk around my village. It gives me a positive start to the day and helps my mental well being and physical health. Living in the countryside, close to a large river, often gives me the opportunity to see wildlife playing early in the morning whilst walking.

At weekends my husband and I like to cycle to a point of interest or a cafe. We enjoy taking part in an activity together which is environmentally friendly and often has a reward of cake at the end!

Sue Newham - Engagement Officer Health & Wellbeing and Lead Officer Mental Health

Jive class

Over five years ago, my husband and I went along to a local jive class, where we spent a bumbling but cheerful year in the beginners’ class. Circumstances meant we couldn’t go any more, but recently I started to see FaceBook adverts for another jive class, sadly when my husband is working.

Recently, I took the plunge and went along. I was as uncoordinated at jive as I knew I would be, but the people were friendly and accepting. The two hours passed really quickly. It was fun! I went home and ordered some proper dance shoes to protect my knees against twisting. I’ve been twice now and am so glad I took the plunge. No way are you getting a photo of me dancing, but you can see my dance shoes! :-)

Thanks to everyone in the team for telling us about their favourite sport and exercise. Let us know in the comments box below about how you are "getting active" for positive mental wellbeing.

Five top sportsmen and women talk about mental health

It’s one of my favourite times of the year – Wimbledon fortnight! Sport plays such a big part in so many people’s lives, whether as participants or spectators or both. For me – well, playing tennis is definitely not one of my strengths – but I just love to watch or listen on the radio. You can’t help but admire the abilities of top sportsmen and women at the peak of their game.

But there is another side to sport, and particularly over the last few years we have become more aware of the impact that the pressures of playing at the top of your game can potentially have on your mental health. Organisations such as Mind have written on the subject. And it is summed up well by Liz Lockhart on Mentally Healthy:

"We see pictures of athletes enjoying a celebrity life-style, out on the town, mixing with the ‘beautiful people’ but we rarely stop to consider the downside to the pressure that comes with success. Players must feel dreadful ‘lows’ when they are not selected and a huge emptiness when they face retirement.

The message, which must reach the ears of sportsmen and women at all levels in their game, must surely be that they need to recognise when they are having difficulties. To seek help without fear if they feel the need for it, and to realise that their mental health is as paramount as their physical health. You can’t have one without the other."

Here in Powys we have found that when people tell their stories it can be enormously helpful, both to those doing the telling and those listening or reading. So here are links to the stories of five top sportsmen and women who have talked openly about being touched by issues relating to their mental health. Their coping strategies can help all of us looking to improve our own mental health.

Frank Bruno – boxer

Frank is a former British professional boxer who competed for over thirteen years. He won 40 out of 45 bouts, including the World Boxing Council world heavyweight championship in 1995. He retired in 1996 after receiving a serious eye injury during a fight with Mike Tyson.

Rachel Bruno, Frank’s daughter, was 16 years old when her father was first sectioned, aged 41, in 2003. She and her father talk openly and honestly about the impact his mental distress has had on the family on the Time to Change website.

Frank also spoke in 2013 about how returning to boxing training was helping his mental health.

"If you can do some form of exercise, it clears your head, sets you up and paves the way for you….Try and go to yoga, try and do a bit of walking, a little bit of jogging, go to an aerobics club, go to a gym, go to a sauna or swim. Just think healthy and try and do healthy things. Sometimes it clears your head.”

Clarke Carlisle – footballer

Clarke played for a number of top clubs during his 16 year playing career including Queens Park Rangers and Burnley before retiring in 2013. He was also chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association. In 2013 he presented the BBC’s Football’s Suicide Secret programme. 

"I still bear the scars from my battle with mental health. I kept my depression a secret from clubs and teammates for almost two decades and it almost cost me my life….. (Now) I want to do all I can to raise awareness of the importance of mental health - not only to break down the stigma and taboos but also to make sure people know where they can find support."

Clarke now talks about his experiences at conferences and events. In October he will speak about mental well being in the workplace, at a conference in Jersey organised in conjunction with MIND Jersey.

Clara Hughes – cyclist and speed skater

Clara has won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympics for her home country of Canada. Then her life took a different turn when she began to feel depressed.

“I felt ashamed of how I looked and how I was. It was easier not be around people. I was really afraid and alone.”

She now fronts a national campaign called Let’s Talk, set up to spark a conversation about the realities of mental health and ending the stigma – covering issues just as relevant in the UK as in Canada. She describes how poor mental health impacted on her sport and what happened next in a TV interview.

“More than anything I have ever done in the Olympics this has affected people.”

Sir John Kirwan – rugby player

John played rugby union and rugby league for New Zealand for many years and is now a Rugby Union coach. But he received his knighthood in 2012 for services to mental health as well as rugby.

“One day I was happy go lucky JK … (then) the biggest fear for me was that I was never going to be well again…. " Now he says: "Hang on to hope, grab hold of it.”

Originally he saw seeking help as a weakness, and that he would be regarded as a failure. But then he reached out – he now recognises that depression is not a weakness, it is just something that happens.

John fronted a series of TV interviews in his native New Zealand to combat the stigma associated with depression.

John’s story also features on Whirlwind Stories, a website set up to help enable men to positively embrace their mental health through the sharing of stories.

You can watch a longer interview with John Kirwan at his home in Italy where he shares his strategies for living with depression.


Rebecca Marino – tennis player

Rebecca Marino played tennis professionally for Canada and took on the likes of Venus Williams at the 2010 US Open. A year later, in 2011, she was on the courts at Wimbledon. But she was due at another tournament in the UK when she first spoke to her coach about her depression.

“I was just sad and I couldn’t contain it.”

At first she found it hard to talk to her family and friends about her distress. But when she did, she realised: “Opening up to them was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Rebecca was at the top of her game, number 38 in the world, and yet the saddest she had ever been. At the age of 22 she decided to retire from professional tennis and go to university instead. You can watch her TED talk about her experiences "Slipping Through the Cracks: Pro Athletes and Mental Health".

Rebecca wants to highlight that it’s OK to feel weak or sad and share your feelings. She feels people are slipping through the cracks, even though there are organisations to help people, she feels individuals are scared or do not know where to go for help. This is why she told her story.

Has sport played a role in your mental health journey? Let us know in the comments box below, or email: pamhinfo@pavo.org.uk

Reflections on volunteering at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games: what can sport teach us about life?

Anne enjoying volunteering at the Commonwealth Games!

Our latest guest post is by Anne Woods - Anne is a freelance writer, researcher and photographer living in Powys. Sport has been an important part of Anne's life pretty much since she could walk! She has represented her county in competitive gymnastics, taken part in equestrian events and played football for Brentford WFC: the highlight, winning a preliminary round match in the Women's FA Cup. She volunteers at several major sports events, including the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. She is currently playing for Hay St Mary's Ladies' Football Club, who train on Wednesday evenings in Hay-on-Wye. They welcome new players, aged 16 and upwards. Find out more on their Facebook page or via Twitter.

Last summer I was a Clyde-Sider, one of the small army of 15,000 volunteers at the Commonwealth Games. Whilst in Glasgow, I was lucky enough to have immediate access to some of the top athletes in the world and to watch them training and attempting to perform to the best of their ability in competition. What struck me as I watched them, is how much sport can teach us about ourselves and how we navigate through life, falling, picking ourselves up and trying again.

Sport encapsulates the full range of human emotion, providing a controlled and safe environment for the expression of frustration, disappointment, even fear; emotions that sometimes we seek to keep at bay and avoid in life. It occurred to me how useful it is to have an outlet for both positive and negative emotions, where feelings can be expressed in the moment without festering or escalating. With good coaching, sport offers a structure for learning how to manage and channel emotions positively: skills that we all find useful.

I was working in The Hydro, a cauldron of expectation and excitement as up to 10,000 spectators cheered on their heroes in the rhythmic and artistic gymnastics competitions. At first hand, I witnessed the anxiety that each athlete experiences and must learn to control to perform well under pressure. As a former gymnast myself, I know how important focus is to remain fully in control of acrobatic movements that have the potential for injury if not executed correctly. Balance and awareness, remaining alert and making minute corrections second by second can be the difference between a gold medal and falling off the beam in agony.

Sport is about the mind and body working in harmony, being in the 'zone', in the present, going with the flow, not over-thinking, not letting the nerves take over or being over-confident but allowing the muscles to do the movements they've trained to do over thousands of hours of often gruelling practice. The discipline of training itself teaches perseverance and determination and an acceptance that we might not be able to do things immediately but with practice we can get better.

Competition brings out the best of us and also the worst. What I remember most about my time as a gymnast is the perfectionism that blighted a good performance and made it not good enough, rather than a joyful expression of hours of practice and the feeling of achievement of pushing my body and mind to their limits. I saw evidence of gymnasts being very hard on themselves at the Games as they strove for perfection by contorting their bodies into shapes most people could only dream about. This is the element of sport that has the power to distort our image of what is good enough and replace enjoyment with disappointment and feelings of failure.

Scene from the opening ceremony. Humanity, equality and destiny are the
underpinning values of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
Image credit: Anne Woods

I was also lucky enough to volunteer at the Olympics in 2012. I was a Games Maker at Greenwich Park for the equestrian events. I will never forget watching the breathtaking performance of British rider, Charlotte Dujardin and her horse Valegro in the dressage - the "dancing" horses. At the very end of what had been an almost flawless routine, Valegro lost composure, and broke stride in an obvious error. I, along with thousands of others, gasped and held our breath. It didn't matter: they won the gold medal with a score of over 90%. What I learned from this and watching days of equestrian competition is that even the best in the world make mistakes. What distinguishes them is their ability to move on quickly and not let the mistake affect the rest of their performance.

The athletes who do best, in my opinion, are those who achieve the balance between pushing themselves to achieve, accepting their successes humbly and not taking their failures too seriously. Giving '110%' is important but not at the expense of self-compassion. Perfection is unattainable and there will always be something to be disappointed about if we look hard enough for it. Focussing more on what has gone right makes for a kinder and more enjoyable passage through life.

At the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, Lord Smith of Kelvin made a speech. These words hit home, "no matter who you are or where you are, sport has the power to make you feel part of something bigger." Certainly, my experience of volunteering at big events bears this out. I would recommend that anyone gives it a go. Even if you don't think you like sport, if you like people, there will be something positive to take from it. The volunteering community tend to be caring, friendly and will go out of their way to help others. Spending time with people like that is a good way to restore your faith in humanity. Sometimes we all need to feel part of something bigger. I agree with Lord Smith. Sport has that power.