Sports teams offer unique opportunities to create spaces where teens and young adults feel safe, seen, heard, and valued, and coaches are ideally positioned to provide that support. You can be the first to notice when an athlete is struggling emotionally, and the first person an athlete trusts enough to reach out to.
JED teamed up with Positive Coaching Alliance to create this quick, easy-to-use guide to increase your knowledge and comfort in navigating these situations and conversations. You do not have to be a mental health professional to support an athlete with their mental health, but you can connect them to care that could change—and even save—their life.
This guide will walk you through straightforward—but significant—steps you can take to:
- Support mental health on your team.
- Recognize and reach out to a struggling athlete.
- Connect athletes to professional help when needed.
