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

Comparison v. Competition: How to Develop Positive Body Image on Teams
Here is how parents and coaches of young athletes can help develop a body positive image culture in your youth sports team.

5 Strategies to Help Your Athlete Manage Performance and Social Anxiety
Here are five strategies to help young athletes learn how to manage performance and social anxiety for long-term mental wellness.

Expert Series: Dr. Kevin Chapman on Performance Anxiety
Dr. Kevin Chapman explains the source of performance anxiety and offers advice to parents and coaches on how to help young athletes manage anxiety in

How to Persevere as a Team
Sports are the perfect chance to teach team-based grit, which can help youth athletes in sport and in their future careers.

Pivoting for the Goal: How to Help Athletes Through Mid-Season Adjustments
How you can help your athletes learn to pivot from their original roadmap and make mid-season adjustments that will help them realize their new goals.

Expert Series: Dr. David Conant-Norville on Depression & Suicide
Dr. David Conant-Norville, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatric physician, explains the signs that parents and coaches can look for in young athletes going through
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.