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It Takes All of Us: Reimagining Sport Systems for Athlete Well-Being

TrueSport to Host Fifth Annual Symposium on Mental Wellness

 

What happens when you combine athletes, psychologists, medical practitioners, mental health experts, and sport leaders all committed to prioritizing athlete well-being? You get TrueSport Talks: Mental Wellness and Sport Systems, which will produce invaluable insights and tools on November 5 to help all those in the youth sport movement advocate for and implement systemic changes to better support athletes’ resilience, growth, and well-being.

 

Truesport talks mental wellness and sport systems prioritizing athlete mental health

 

All those who are a part of sport systems, from parents, to coaches, to sport leaders, have an obligation to acknowledge that sport can either be a profoundly supportive or destructive force in young people’s lives, depending on the structure and culture of their sport community. At the end of the day, we owe it to every single young athlete to tirelessly work toward practical solutions that help develop athlete resilience while offering systems that support athletes when they need it.

As we have seen in recent years, our young athletes continue to grapple with mental health and well-being. On site at the TrueSport Talks event telling their story will be the parents of one such athlete. Mark and Kym Hilinski, whose son Tyler died by suicide while in college as a D1 quarterback, explained that Tyler never showed signs of a mental health struggle, and he didn’t reach out for support.

The Hilinski family realized that if Tyler was afraid or unsure how to reach out for support, there must be so many other ‘Tylers’ out there suffering in silence. By sharing their story, the Hilinskis will demonstrate how supportive sport systems aren’t just ‘good to have’…they are absolutely critical and can be truly lifesaving.

And when it comes to preventing these kinds of tragic and devastating stories, the best defense often starts with a good offense. Enter Dr. Aaron Dinin, the Duke University professor (otherwise known as the TikTok Professor) whose Learning to Fail class has captured widespread recognition as he helps his students and millions of people online reframe their relationship with failure. And why does failure matter? Because it develops resilience.

“Repeated micro-failures build a psychological callus,” Dinin explains. “It makes the mind more flexible—and eventually ready for bigger loads.” Dinin adds that getting comfortable with failure can also boost mental well-being: If failure doesn’t feel like the end of the world, anxiety levels stay lower. Through sport, student-athletes can regularly practice failure in a relatively low-risk environment while learning how to regulate their emotions and develop effective coping responses.

There are also lifelong benefits that extend far outside of sport. “Figuring out why you missed the goal in soccer on Monday looks a lot like debugging a business pitch on Thursday,” Dinin says. A student-athlete who can fail and learn from it on the field is more likely to be able to handle the stress of a final exam or term paper.

There aren’t many athletes who understand the importance of learning from failure and challenges more than Anna Hall, a 24-year-old track and field Olympian who has battled injuries and overcome self-doubt amid a turbulent career. After missing out on the Tokyo Olympic Games and experiencing a disappointing finish at the Paris Olympic Games, Anna most recently enjoyed a career high, becoming the 2025 World Champion in the heptathlon. Following Jackie Joyner-Kersee, she is only the second American woman to secure a world title in the heptathlon. As we approach the benchmark of 100 days out from the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, athlete voices emerge as key drivers for meaningful change. At the event, Anna will share her stories of both struggle and triumph, providing a critical reminder at the start of the symposium that the courage to speak openly about challenges is the foundation for meaningful change.

From there, the symposium will address those who shape the systems surrounding athletes. Representatives from multiple sectors will come together to discuss the current state of support within sport and identify opportunities that remain underdeveloped. This dialogue places athlete needs front and center, aligning advocacy, medical best practice, and philanthropic innovation toward a shared purpose: creating structures that nurture mental health as diligently as physical performance. Those in attendance can expect to walk away with a clear set of expectations for their own sport communities that identify standards for healthier sport environments for all athletes.

After a collaborative exploration of failure and its role in building both individual and collective resilience, researcher Jess Kirby will then help translate these lessons into action, focusing on what each person—from coaches to administrators—can do immediately to make a difference in the lives of athletes. Kirby’s work underscores the necessity of systems-level accountability and evidence-based decision-making. While the recommendations are grounded in best practice and academic research, the takeaways are practical and immediately applicable for the average sport parent, coach, or administrator who values a healthy sport climate and culture.

The day will culminate in a forward-looking discussion that will highlight examples of systems that are already thriving. Their stories will showcase how cross-sector communication, resource sharing, and transparency can transform intention into impact, leaving participants inspired and equipped to drive change within their own communities.

“We may not immediately see ourselves as agents of change when we talk about “systems-thinking” and mental wellness in sport,” said Dr. Jennifer Royer, Senior Director of TrueSport and Awareness at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. “The problems or the challenges can seem bigger than any one individual or sport program. But what we learn from these discussions is that we each have a vital role to play and significant influence in improving our own children’s experience and changing the game for countless others when we prioritize the values and life skills learned through sport over performance and winning at all costs.”

More information about the event, sessions, and speakers is available here.

This event built off of the actionable takeaways and evidence-based recommendations from Mental Wellness and the Young Athlete in 2021, Mental Wellness and the Student-Athlete in 2022, Mental Wellness and the Modern Coach in 2023, and Mental Wellness and Healthy Sport Families in 2024.

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Truesport talks mental wellness and sport systems prioritizing athlete mental health

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, Paralympian, and TrueSport Athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshman at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time, I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and TrueSport Athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about body image, and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So, I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.