Not many professional footballers start a career as a sports psychologist, but former Nb1 and Nb2 goalkeeper Levente Szántai has built his own professional existence with a university degree and a wealth of experience from football. His work is very diversified and successful, which is reflected in the fact that many clubs, organisations and athletes ask him for professional advice.
You teach at the University of Szeged, give workshops and lectures, do group and individual sessions, while you are constantly training yourself and editing your own website. How do you manage your time in addition to your family?
It was during my university years that efficient time management became a necessity. I was a full-time professional footballer and both my sons were born during this period. The skill of time management is still present in my life today. Family time, for example, is sacrosanct, and I mute my phone and am not available.
A lot of professional footballers do not plan their post-career life consciously and do not know what to do. How have you structured your post-career?
I made logical choices. I finished my active football career at the age of 37, but I still had two or three years left in me physically and mentally to continue. I consider it a key factor that I was able to let go of competitive sport and start working at the Csanád Grosics Academy in Szeged as a freshly graduated psychologist. Thanks also to the club's management.
Why did you want to work in psychology within sport?
Even during my football career, I was able to listen to my teammates' problems, and I was present in the discussions with a clear understanding. And as a team captain, a problem-focused approach to communication was essential in case of conflict. The ability to listen to others and solve problems was something I wanted to take forward in a profession that would allow me to stay in the sport and be credible in what I do. That's how sports psychology came about.
This discipline has burst onto the scene in sport in recent decades. What do you think is the reason why mental preparation of athletes was not considered before?
In the West, the first sports psychology laboratory appeared in the early 1900s, while in our country the science of sports psychology began to spread in the 1990s. The training of sport psychologists was introduced in 2007. This shows that sport psychology in this country is still in its infancy, although there are signs of progress. In the past, coaches were all-rounders, but nowadays they work in teams with doctors, physiotherapists, fitness coaches, dieticians and sports psychologists. This increases the effectiveness of the different areas, which ultimately results in the physical and mental health of the athlete.
During your career, did you consult a sports psychologist or were you worked on at team level?
No. Recently, the use of sports psychologists has spread in Hungary, which can be linked to the emergence of sports academies. Previously, this service was available only at the national level. Recently, for example, there was talk of me helping with the mental preparation of a first division team, but the owner thought this was an extra service, so the deal was not done. This also shows that mental coaching depends to a large extent on the attitude and openness of the club's management.
How did you prepare for a match mentally?
I had my own rituals, the match was a celebration day for me. But without a sports psychologist, I developed my own practices. For example, before a match, I would imagine how I was going to stop the opponent's players shooting. I didn't know it at the time, I was using imagination, which is a classic sport psychology technique.
Every professional footballer has highs and lows in their career. How do you think it's different to deal with a failure than a success?
Failure can put the athlete at a low point. This period is useful for deeper mental work, talking through the background and possible factors of the more difficult period. In the case of success, the focus is more on keeping the framework in place, keeping the sense of liberation and enjoyment. In the case of failure, we therefore lift the athlete, strengthening his/her self-confidence. In the case of success, we keep the athlete grounded in reality, helping to maintain optimal self-confidence.
Let's talk about your current job. Do many people contact you as a sports psychologist at individual and organisational level?
Yes. On an individual level, I currently have a lot of people coming to me, from different sports, different ages. At organisational level, the work is much more complex and requires an open minded approach from athletes, coaches and managers. In my experience, there is progress in this area too, with more and more sports leaders seeing, feeling and experiencing that mental preparation is essential for effective performance.
What motivated you to create your own website where people can turn to you for help or advice?
Promoting the profession of sports psychologist. I watch with concern as people start coaching athletes after a few sessions of suitable coaching training. By contrast, becoming a sports psychologist is a 7-year process. I think it is essential that people who take coach training courses recognise that these courses are really effective for their own self-knowledge. However, working with athletes is a multi-faceted process, where the ethical principle of "Do no harm" also needs to be taken into account as a professional.
What are the common problems and mental gaps that athletes come to you with? Can you give a specific example?
The wonderful thing about this profession is that no two cases are the same, just as no two people are the same. In the case of performance anxiety, for example, negative automatic thoughts may need to be reframed. However, it may be that physical reactions come to the fore, in which case relaxation techniques are more effective. There are several aspects to consider when choosing the right intervention techniques as a professional.
How do you feel the feedback on the site is positive?
Rather, information is passed on to each other by the athletes involved in the process of sports psychology counselling. It's a common practice for a competitor to come to me having heard about me from a teammate. Adding that he sees an improvement in his teammate's performance and that he needs it too. The website is more of an insight into the activities and process of the sports psychology profession. This will help to dispel the fear that people have that psychologists can see inside their heads or that only mentally ill people go to psychologists. These are misconceptions, which I see it as my job to change, that's why I have this website. Sport psychology counselling is a collaborative development process for balanced physical and mental health.
What is the essence of the workshops you hold?
It depends on the order. Most recently, I gave a training course for coaches on effective conflict management strategies, before that I worked on a request for developing sports confidence. I create the topics according to the needs, which the participants can see clearly from the first moment. This allows us to work together within the right framework.
The website also features your patients' opinions about their time with you. Does that give you a sense of satisfaction?
Satisfaction is shown by the client. On my part, it is more the pleasure of a job well done, indicated by the athlete's physical and mental balance. I am also pleased when athletes report on their on- and off-field successes. Because it is a co-creation process, within normal boundaries, the success and failure of the athlete is shared. We experience difficulties together and celebrate successes together. That's how it should be.
Have you thought about becoming a professional goalkeeper coach for a team or would you prefer to stay in the field of psychology in the future?
The profession of psychology requires a whole person, so it was not compatible with the coaching profession. I have the advantage of having been in the locker room, on the field, on common trips, training camps and so on for more than 30 years. My job also means that I work with coaches all the time and understand the professional language they use. However, the coaching profession also requires a whole person, which is a wonderful profession. The coaching profession should remain the field of the coaching colleagues and mental coaching the field of the sports psychologist.
What are your goals and plans for the future that you want to achieve?
For the last three years, I have been working mainly in the youth sector. My plans include working with the Hungarian national youth teams and I would like to work more often in adult team sports. Finally, I am constantly training myself, participating in method-specific courses such as transaction analysis.
