Basketball Australia, in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), has launched a new e-learning course designed to improve mental health awareness and support across high-performance environments. The program, unveiled on September 22, 2025, is the latest step in a growing national effort to strengthen the wellbeing of athletes, coaches, and staff by reducing stigma and promoting early intervention.
The course is built on the foundations of the AIS Mental Health in Sport Workshops, which have been delivered nationwide for several years. By transitioning elements of these workshops into an interactive digital format, Basketball Australia and the AIS aim to ensure accessibility, consistency, and scalability across their high-performance programs. The content emphasizes awareness of mental health issues, practical tools for recognizing warning signs, and strategies for reducing stigma within the sporting community.
Rhian Bird, Head of Athlete Wellbeing at Basketball Australia, said the course is not just another training module but a step toward embedding mental health literacy into the culture of elite basketball.
“Mental health is a relevant factor in high-performance sport, and we are excited to give our staff the opportunity to increase their knowledge and confidence in identifying and supporting someone with poor mental health,” Bird explained. “There is still a stigma attached to poor mental health in high-performance settings, and education has a direct impact in decreasing stigma and supporting our people to perform at their best.”
Addressing the Stigma in Sport
The stigma surrounding mental health in elite sport remains a persistent challenge. While athletes are often celebrated for their resilience and performance, discussions about anxiety, depression, or burnout have historically been less visible. This silence has contributed to an environment where many athletes fear that acknowledging mental health struggles could be seen as weakness or a threat to their careers.
The new e-learning course seeks to change that narrative. Through interactive modules, staff are trained to recognize the signs of poor mental health, approach conversations with empathy, and connect athletes to appropriate support networks. By normalizing these discussions, Basketball Australia and the AIS hope to dismantle harmful stereotypes and promote a culture where wellbeing is seen as central to performance.
AIS Director Matti Clements emphasized this cultural shift in her remarks. “We’re pleased to see the leadership role Basketball Australia is playing in this important space. Reducing the stigma around mental health is exactly what it means to win well,” Clements said. “We want everyone in our high-performance system to feel enriched, not diminished, from their experiences and thrive as humans first and sportspeople second.”
Why Mental Health Matters in High-Performance Sport
The pressures of high-performance environments are unique. Athletes often navigate grueling training schedules, public scrutiny, and the constant demand to perform at peak levels. When combined with the challenges of travel, injury recovery, and personal sacrifice, these conditions can create a perfect storm for mental health concerns.
According to the AIS Mental Health Audit (2022), approximately one in three athletes in Australia reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression during their careers. These numbers mirror global findings. A 2019 International Olympic Committee consensus statement highlighted that elite athletes face similar, if not higher, risks of mental health challenges compared to the general population.
Beyond the numbers, there are personal stories. Australian athletes across multiple sports have spoken openly in recent years about their battles with mental health, from Olympic swimmers grappling with depression to AFL players taking time away from the game for personal wellbeing. These stories have underscored the urgency of addressing mental health with the same seriousness as physical injuries.
By integrating mental health training into everyday practice, Basketball Australia and the AIS are aligning with a growing global movement that prioritizes athlete welfare as a foundation for performance.
What the Course Offers
The Mental Health in Sport E-learning Course has been designed to be practical, engaging, and flexible. Delivered through Basketball Australia’s e-learning platform, it includes:
- Scenario-Based Learning: Realistic examples of situations staff may encounter, encouraging active problem-solving.
- Recognition Tools: Guidance on spotting early warning signs of poor mental health.
- Support Strategies: How to initiate sensitive conversations, provide reassurance, and connect individuals with professional help.
- Stigma Reduction Modules: Education on challenging stereotypes and building inclusive team cultures.
- Confidence Building: Exercises designed to increase staff confidence in providing appropriate support.
The content is tailored for staff working directly within Basketball Australia’s high-performance environments, but the principles are transferable across other sporting contexts.
A Collaborative Approach
This initiative reflects a broader synergy between the AIS and Basketball Australia. Both organizations share a commitment to not only producing elite athletes but also ensuring that those athletes leave their careers with positive lifelong wellbeing.
The AIS has been at the forefront of mental health advocacy in Australian sport, establishing the Mental Health Referral Network in 2018. The network provides athletes, coaches, and staff with access to mental health professionals who understand the unique pressures of sport. The new e-learning course builds on this foundation by equipping frontline staff with the knowledge to provide immediate, informed support.
The collaboration also reflects a growing recognition that mental health strategies must be embedded into the structures of sport, not treated as optional extras. Education, accessibility, and cultural change are now central to ensuring that high-performance systems support athletes holistically.
Broader Implications for Australian Sport
While this initiative is spearheaded by Basketball Australia, its implications extend well beyond the sport. If successful, the course could serve as a model for other national sporting organizations looking to integrate mental health training into their pathways.
In recent years, organizations such as Cricket Australia and Swimming Australia have introduced wellbeing programs, but many of these efforts remain fragmented. By offering an accessible, scalable e-learning solution, Basketball Australia and the AIS may help establish a new benchmark for how mental health is addressed in sport nationally.
Moreover, the course supports Australia’s broader national strategy on mental health in sport. In 2020, Sport Australia released the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Athletes and Coaches, calling for increased education, improved referral pathways, and stronger support structures. The new e-learning program directly aligns with these goals.
The Road Ahead
Launching an e-learning course is only the first step. The real test will be in its adoption and impact. Basketball Australia has indicated plans to track outcomes, including how well staff apply their learning in real-world situations and whether stigma decreases within high-performance environments.
Future iterations may expand the course to include athletes themselves, ensuring that education is shared across all levels of the sport. There is also potential for the program to evolve into a cross-sport initiative, allowing for shared learning and collaboration across Australia’s high-performance system.
For now, the message is clear: mental health matters, and it is being prioritized at the highest levels of Australian sport.
A Cultural Shift in Motion
The launch of this course signals more than just a training exercise—it represents a cultural shift. By embedding mental health literacy into the daily fabric of high-performance basketball, Basketball Australia and the AIS are sending a powerful message: wellbeing and performance are not separate goals, but complementary ones.
Athletes cannot thrive if they are suffering in silence. Coaches cannot lead effectively if they lack the tools to support their teams. Staff cannot contribute fully if stigma prevents honest conversations. This initiative directly addresses those barriers.
As Bird emphasized, “Education has a direct impact in decreasing stigma and supporting our people to perform at their best.” And as Clements added, “We want everyone involved in our high-performance system to thrive as humans first and sportspeople second.”
The path to success in sport has long been measured by medals, trophies, and records. Increasingly, it is also being measured by how athletes are supported as whole people. Basketball Australia’s new e-learning course is a reminder that winning well means winning with wellbeing at the core.
