FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Professional athletes are constantly striving to improve, but it takes more than just training, conditioning, and nutrition to be at peak performance. While staying physically fit is essential, it’s equally important that they give care to their brain and minds, too. To truly be their best on the pitch, the brain needs to be just as game-ready as the body.
For the New England Revolution, mental health matters, and with Dr. Yoshio Kaneko, the team’s sports psychiatrist, support is always within reach. Outside of the training center, Dr. Kaneko – known to Revolution players and staff as “Yosh” – is a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of Mass General Brigham, where he serves as the Director of the Transitional Age Youth clinic. He is also a staff psychiatrist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and an instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Kaneko’s main objective is to help players perform at their top potential. Whether he is providing them with the mental skills to help them succeed or addressing clinical challenges like anxiety and depression, he is always available to provide the mental health support the Revs need to be their best.
As Dr. Kaneko explains, even highly capable players can be held back by mental health struggles. Confidence and mental comfort often translate directly to performance on the pitch. And that’s not just true for athletes – it’s true for all of us. That’s why reducing the stigma around mental health, both inside and outside of sport, is so important.
It’s easy to view pro athletes as superheroes. In some ways, they are, but at the end of the day, they’re also human just like anyone else. They wrestle with balancing work and home life, managing emotions, and facing the constant pressure to perform.
Dr. Kaneko’s role can be particularly important when players are injured. For a lot of athletes, physical recovery is only half the battle. With injury can come isolation, anxiety, and fear of not returning, which carries a heavy weight for players who just want to get back to doing what they love. So, when it comes to returning to play, the Revolution medical staff ensure they attend to mental health with the same rigor as physical health.
Ahead of the Revolution’s Mental Health and Wellness Match on August 30, it’s important to know that the players on the pitch can struggle, too. Mental health doesn’t discriminate. Whether you’re on the field or in the stands, it’s normal and everyone goes through it. Mental Health and Wellness Night is more than just another game – it’s a chance to shine light on the invisible battles so many people face, and to remind everyone that mental health is simply health.
Dr. Kaneko is well aware of the hesitation that can hold someone back from seeking mental health treatment. His goal is to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness and remind fans that they’re not alone. Mental health challenges are common, and help is available. His message for the evening echoes a powerful mantra often shared at Mass General: “never worry alone.”
As the Revolution prepare to face Charlotte FC on Saturday night, they encourage fans to speak up. Whether you're struggling or simply need someone to listen, this weekend, every fan is part of the team, and no one will worry alone.
Mass General Brigham is proud to be the official healthcare provider of the New England Revolution.
