Adidas Partners With Calm To Promote Sports Performance Through Mental Wellbeing

Athletes, coaches and trainers are increasingly recognizing the tie between one’s mental wellbeing and their sport performance. Things like stress, anxiety and depression can negatively impact an athlete’s performance. As conversations around athlete wellbeing come into focus thanks in part to the transparency of athletes like Kevin Love and Naomi Osaka, brands are entering into unique wellbeing-centered partnerships. Today, adidas partnered with Calm to promote sports performance through mental wellbeing.

The partnership, which was announced on World Mental Health Day–October 10–sees the sporting good industry brand bringing premium services from Calm’s mental health platform to adiClub members in the United States and United Kingdom. Beginning on October 17, 2022, adiClub members will be able to use points toward premium offerings on the Calm app.

Adidas and Calm will also work together to create specialized content meant to foster sports performance. The new content will focus on the theme, “Rest. Restore. Perform.” Through mindfulness and mental fitness offerings, the partners hope to “strengthen how athletes of all levels perform.”

“This partnership with Calm provides our members with mental wellbeing coaching and training through the lens of sports performance and we’re excited to see how we can build on the collaboration,” said adidas’ chief digital officer, Scott Zalaznik.

The partnership is not Calm’s first foray into the sport industry. In 2019, LeBron James–who is sponsored by Nike–partnered with Calm. Through the app, James offers a series of meditations to train one’s mind and also narrates a sleep story.

“Mental and physical wellbeing are deeply intertwined, yet often supported separately,” said Calm’s vice president of partnerships, Fergal Walker. “Our partnership with adidas will begin to bring mental and physical health closer together, and we look forward to continuing to bring these benefits to professionals and amateurs alike in the coming years.”