While the concerns around athlete mental health and wellbeing continue to garner national attention, the youth sport landscape lacks clear direction for coaches, parents/guardians, and athletes as to how to respond to those challenges. Use the resources below to explore mental wellness through the lens of youth sport.
Trigger Warning: The following resources discuss mental wellness, mental health, and mental health challenges. Some people may find this content triggering and some content may not be suitable for all ages.
Use the buttons below to jump to the various sections of this mental wellness resource page.
TRUESPORT TALKS: RECORDED SESSIONS
ARTICLES

5 Things NOT to Say to Your Athlete and What to Say Instead
As a parent or as a coach, it can be tricky giving young athletes advice or motivation, and some of the old cliches that you

How to Build a Community Culture of Mental Wellness
It’s easy to get into routines as a longtime coach: You likely know exactly what tactics work best, how to best run practices, and who

9 Easy Ways to Prevent Cliques on Teams
When it comes to preventing cliques and bullying behaviors, it’s best to be proactive. While it’s easy to get caught up in drills, rosters, and

TrueSport Expert Series: Dr. Kevin Chapman on Behavioral Avoidance
Dr. Kevin Chapman addresses the concept of behavioral avoidance and how athletes can ultimately experience greater complications when they avoid dealing with conflicts that arise

4 Questions to Help Change a Young Athlete’s Negative Thought Process
As a coach for young athletes, whether they’re in elementary school or high school, you’re going to deal with the emotional rollercoasters that young people

Uncomfortable v. Unsafe: How to Tell the Difference when Working with Youth Athletes
Helping your young athlete understand the difference between an uncomfortable situation and an unsafe situation can be incredibly difficult. “We have to protect our children
VIDEOS
ADDITIONAL EXPERT RESOURCES
LINKS
U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport: https://mentalhealthandsport.org/resources/
National Center for School Mental Health: https://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/
National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/
Apps for Smart Phones
- The Safe Place – Free smartphone app focused on psychoeducation and self-care for minority mental health, geared towards the Black community.
- Liberate – Free meditation app designed specifically for the BIPOC community and led by BIPOC teachers.
- MindShift – Free “cheerleader in your pocket” for teens and young adults with anxiety.
- Happify – Free games, activities, and gratitude prompts to help overcome negative thoughts and improve mood.
- Breathe2Relax – Stress management tool to decrease “fight-or-flight” stress. response.
Content is inspired by the 2021 TrueSport Talks: Mental Wellness & the Young Athlete: The Path Forward, with media support from Sports Engine.