Looking back twenty years, Christine Arron speaks about it with distance and accepts the unflattering observation: that she was deceived. In the spring of 2003, the sprinter, who has held the European 100 meter record since 1998, trusted an “energy psychotherapist” to get back on the podium after months of dry spells. But when the Frenchwoman almost literally collapsed in the semi-finals of the premiere race at the Olympic Games in Athens the following summer, speeches celebrating “energies” or “Love as a healing force”, suddenly stopped printing.

The athlete ended this collaboration, which was viewed negatively by the French Athletics Federation (FFA) from the start. “Behind the positive messages, I realized it was negative and toxic for me. She was a manipulator, there was some form of control somewhere.”he says World Christine Arron, already warmed by a first experience with an FFA mental trainer. We won’t take it again. “I was so disgusted by the experiences I had gone through that I didn’t want to continue [dans la préparation mentale]. You really have to find the right people…”

His statement highlights what is undoubtedly the most damaging consequence of the lack of regulation in France in the field of psychological support. Since the status is not recognized by the state, anyone can proclaim themselves Mental trainer without the slightest diploma or after superficial, if not biased, training. In return, any athlete or federation can enlist the services of coaches with controversial methods – or even charlatans for the less scrupulous among them.

“If we don’t have a sense of the importance of science, we are generally not demanding in recruiting, we sometimes see very surprising profiles, even at the highest levels.”notes Mickaël Campo, President of the French Society of Sports Psychology (SFPS) and Mental coach of the XV. France.

“Pseudoscientist”

Without abandoning this or that association, the team sports specialist has witnessed the emergence of “business trainers” or trainers with training “Pseudoscientist, mix of neuroscience, behavioral science”. “Usually it doesn’t last long, but it’s damaging to the association.” [en question] and for the profession, because it contributes to confusion in the perception of what the profession can be.”, he complains.

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