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 as discussed at the TrueSport Talks Symposiums.
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
2022 Symposium - Mental Wellness and the Student-Athlete
Session 1: Training from the Neck Up- Student-Athletes and Mental Wellness, featuring Dr. Candice Williams.
Session 2: Competing Well- Athletes and Mental Wellness featuring Charley Nordin, Cailin Bracken, and Geoff Kelly.
Session 3: The Invisible Opponent- Contending for Student-Athlete Wellbeing with Dr. Kevin Chapman, Dr. Erin Haugen, Melissa Streno, Psyd, and Charron Sumler.
Session 4: Systems of Support | UNCUT: Healthy Sport Environment by Design with Dr. Amanda Stanec, Michael Kreuger, Ed.S, CMAA, Dr. Bhrett McCabe, Lt. Col. Steven Pipes, USAFA Ret., Allison Schmitt, OLY
Session 5: Sports as a Solution- Practical Guidelines that Drive Meaningful Change with Jess Kirby, PhD, Dr. Kevin Chapman and Dr. Deborah Gilboa.
*Please note, the first five minutes are missing from this recording. We apologize for the inconvenience.
2021 Symposium - Mental Wellness and the Young Athlete: The Path Forward
ARTICLES

How to Use Athlete Strengths to Build Mental, Physical, and Emotional Resilience
You may know that it’s important to help an athlete bounce back from injury feeling stronger and healthier than ever, but when was the last

3 Activities to Help Young Athletes Distinguish Between Danger and Discomfort
While discomfort is part of sport, danger shouldn’t be. But how can young athletes learn the difference between the two? Here, board-certified family physician and

Why the “Fake It Until You Make It” Philosophy Doesn’t Work
Gen Z—the current generation of young athletes—values authenticity above all else. And that means the old adage of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ is

7 Ways to Create a Mistake-Friendly but Excuse-Free Sport Environment
As a coach, you likely know that athletes learn the most through making mistakes and using those mistakes to make improvements. But how can you

How to Coach for Mental Wellness and Lifelong Success
As a coach, it’s tempting to put almost all your focus on the game itself…teaching skills that help an athlete make it to the finish

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
VIDEOS
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
Humanizing Sport: Best Practices Guide to Support Student-Athlete Mental Wellness and Resilience for Anyone with an Athlete in their Life
The purpose of this report is to highlight current challenges in sport that hinder student-athlete mental wellness, and to provide human-centered, values-based opportunities for growth and improvement for all stakeholders across sport. These recommendations are evidence-based and prioritize the development of mental wellness and resilience in student-athletes across ages and competition levels, in public and private, and community and school-based sports. Challenges and opportunities are outlined according to levels of influence present in sport culture today.
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.