IIHF launches coach e-learning module on athlete mental wellness

The International Ice Hockey Federation launched an e-learning module titled Athlete Mental Wellness and Performance: A Guide for Coaches, the federation said, calling mental health and performance a strategic priority throughout the season.¹

The module is led by Professor Martin Mrazik and was developed with internationally recognized experts and elite hockey leaders, according to the IIHF. The federation named Vicky Sunohara, Daniel Alfredsson, Peter DeBoer, Gregory Tarlé, André Lysenstoen, Iara Haiek and Dr. Frauke Kubischta among those involved.¹

The IIHF said the resource is designed to help coaches identify potential mental health challenges, understand how they can affect athletes and teams, and create environments that support both wellbeing and performance.¹

By placing coaches at the centre of the initiative, the federation said it is recognizing their role not only in developing players on the ice but also in shaping the culture and environment around them.¹

Coaches play a decisive role in creating the environment in which an athlete can thrive, not just physically but mentally.¹IIHF President Franz Reindl

The federation said the focus on education extended beyond the new e-learning module. Mental health awareness was also brought to the IIHF Coaching Symposium, giving coaches an opportunity to discuss the subject and consider how mental wellbeing can be incorporated into everyday coaching and team environments.¹

The IIHF said it continued to expand efforts to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide athletes, coaches and hockey personnel with practical tools to better understand and address mental health, building on work launched in previous seasons.¹