Symbiosis in Professional Football
/Professional Footballers are their own species, some maintain their sense of self, while others fall victim to the expectation of the environment and become somebody else. They obtain this new identity - The Player. The Player gets the attention, access, the money and other things we are trained to want in life. This is why it’s easy for players to lose themselves within this new identity, it’s everything they think they should want, catering to inner desires and consuming them.
Symbiosis
The symbiotic relationship between the person and the player is an expectation as part of your commitment to being a professional footballer. If you do not adhere to the process, your character will come under scrutiny and be questioned as to “how much do you want it?”.
Symbiosis takes place the moment players enter the training ground at academy level, they are moulded by expectation, direction and praise. As young players progress through the system into the first team, the process becomes more intense with broadcasters and fans participating in the mould.
As a result of this symbiotic relationship good things happen and bad things happen. Many players are aware that they are not welcome in football but their symbiotic self (player) is. After years of conditioning the symbiotic relationship gets stronger and both the person and the player become dependent on the other for survival. The person feels that it needs the player, the character they projected to survive within the football environment and brings all the attention in social spaces. The player needs the person as a means of existence. The relationship between the two is not authentic, thus the relationships built with others during this period coming into question. Relationships with their spouse, team mates and friends outside of football. The divorce rate is spoken about a lot, why the percentage is so high isn’t.
“Seventy-five percent of ex-players are divorced by the time they turn 50” - PFA Scotland, August 2018
Players spend years in school together, winning, losing, fighting, partying, travelling the world and sharing euphoric moments on the pitch together, only to retire and then go their separate ways. Where is the connection after all this time? Did they know each other or was it a case of projected characters connecting?
Venom
Marvel created a fictional specie called Symbiote, Venom is the name of the Symbiote in Marvel’s Spiderman comics and the name of the film Marvel released in 2018 . Once the suit bonds with its host, it creates a symbiotic bond. The relationship alters the person’s personality, influencing their darkest desires, and amplifies their physical and emotional traits. You thinking what I’m thinking? No, Venom is not a footballer, yes, the process is similar. There is something about players putting on a kit, and being in that arena that leads to them being more amplified in certain parts of their character.
In football, the kit is the Symbiote. In most cases, the person peaks during their football career, peak strength, income, stardom, attachments and as a result of those - their self worth.
Like Venom, the longer symbiotic relationship the more dependent the host and new identity become on one another. Players lose themselves in character, but when their career is over, they lose everything that comes with it. They are then forced to return to their original identity. Unfortunately many don’t know who they are, their identity is lost. It began when they were attending football sessions 5 times per week in their early teens, and moving to a football school. Maturing when the only people within their circle that could sync with their timetable and lifestyle, were their team mates.
Tips
After years of neglect, many no longer know who they are. A small amount go into hiding, others tick over in a job while they find themselves and some struggle with mental health problems.
Symbiosis can too easily become unhealthy, I encourage more footballers to be comfortable in being themselves within the football environment and like other jobs, they should have a clean break from character when outside of work.
Feedback from this blog
If the role you embrace is helpful to you on the pitch, embrace it, then shake it off and get out of character.
Don’t wear training kit at home.
Mix up your social media. For a every post about you the player, post a few about you the person.
Do not use names, email accounts and businesses have no link to your player identity. Also, ask people not to call you by your football nickname.
Keep traces of football at home to a minimum or in a confined space. For example rehab equipment kept within a specific room. You go into the room to do your rehab, nothing is done outside of that room and equipment does not leave the room.
How do your boundaries in football and outside of football match up? Pay attention to the differences and explore them.
The goal is to make the inevitable change seamless.
If you enjoyed the above, check out my book as I delve deeper into other areas in football. The Soccology book is available in most outlets, if you click the link below it will take you through to the Amazon page.
