Sometimes, psychologically burdened sportspersons can make it difficult for sport development workers to do their work, especially when these psychological problems are severe, as is quite frequently the case with refugees. They have often been living in fear and uncertainty or have witnessed violent acts including rape and murder. Such traumatic experiences may have a bearing on people's behaviour. For instance, someone may find it difficult to control his or her emotions, may have trouble concentrating on a task, suffer insomnia or nightmares, and so on.

These are things for which sport development workers have not been prepared in the course of their training as instructors or consultants. Quite a few among them have said that this leads them to feel unsettled in the field. When a sportsperson's behaviour is out of the ordinary, does that mean there is a trauma involved? Or is there another psychological problem? How does one deal with such behaviour? What can you do when, for instance, you have a small boy in your project who only wants to sit on a ball and refuses to play with anyone else? Should you force him a little into participating or just leave him alone? Another: can you do contact sports with girls who have been sexually abused?

Every situation is unique

Various trauma experts, including professor De Jong of the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation, Dr Simon of the Antares Foundation and professor Wolters (medical psychology for children and youth University of Utrecht), have made it clear that there is no ready-to-use method for working with people who have had a traumatic experience. Every situation and individual is unique. How you work with people who have serious psychological problems largely depends upon your personality, intuition and sensitivity. In any case, what is important is that you show the other person that you take him/her seriously and put in an effort. Professor Wolters, a retired lecturer in medical psychology for children and youth, says that a sport development workers who know what they are doing and are sensitive to the environment and the sportspersons in it already possess more than half the qualities necessary to deal with people who have had a traumatic experience. But there are a number of ways to facilitate and improve the rapport with people who have been through such an experience.