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

Why and How to Teach Mindfulness
As a coach or parent, you may have heard that mindfulness or meditation has been shown to be a highly effective, free tool for calming

How to Facilitate Values-Driven Behavior
What is the definition of team success? Team success occurs when a team is aligned on their goals and they reach them. For a coach,

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
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.