Raising awareness about mental health is one of Prince William’s main projects. He recently sat down with two members of the UK soccer team to discuss how sports can help people handle setbacks and work with others.
Prince William Asks UK Players About Disappointing Loss
The Prince of Wales spoke with Harry Kane and Declan Rice, two players on England’s soccer team. He started the discussion by sharing how playing sports has impacted his own life and mindset.
“You learn by playing a number of times and many other things in life that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial,” William shared. Disappointment is something both Kane and Rice are familiar with—they lost the final of the Euro 2020 tournament last summer.
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William continued, “Handling some of those really disappointing England results in the past, that was hard, I found that really difficult, because again the same euphoria that we had comes crashing down. You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again.”
Declan Rice Emphasizes ‘Togetherness’ and ‘Strength’
Losing the important match was a tough blow for the team, but Rice shared how the group handled the disappointment together. “There was a special moment after that game, the togetherness when we all come in a huddle after we’d lost that, and Gareth [Southgate, England’s manager] said some really important words,” Rice explained. “As a group, I think that brought us forward together.
He added, “We really overcame that setback of losing that final, showed our togetherness and our strength and I feel that we are in a really good place as a national team that we can keep pushing and getting better because the togetherness we’ve built is really special to be a part of.”
William Recalls Friendships Made On Sports Teams
Kane jumped in, saying, “Talking here about different stuff—highs and lows that we’ve been through as players. That’s my aim is to, especially to the younger generation, talk to them and try and provide ways of talking about mental health and wellbeing.”
“The more we talk about it, and open up, it will definitely help solve and hopefully encourage people not to be afraid to ask for help, especially when you are feeling a little bit lower,” he concluded.
The prince shared his own experiences playing sports, discussing the friendships he made through his teams. “I’ve definitely got loads of friends whose relationship started off in a team, fighting for each other and wanting to do the best for the school, for each other and the team,” he explained. William’s conversation with Rice and Kane is an excellent reminder of how fulfilling sports can be, whether you win or lose.
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