Youth Sports Mental Health & Wellness Alliance

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and often times the first step to prevention is recognizing there is a problem. Having conversations with youth athletes that may be struggling could be the positive influence needed in their lives. This week we highlight 12 Tips for Talking to Your Teen About Their Mental Health, from the Positive Coaching Alliance.

https://devzone.positivecoach.org/sites/uploads/files/12%20Tips%20For%20Talking%20to%20Your%20Teen%20About%20Their%20Mental%20Health_Final.pdf

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, this week we examine facts and myths about suicide. The graphics provided are from Alliance member, Dr. Sonja Lund with Old Dominion University Athletics. This information helps provide more awareness as we amplify the message of Suicide Prevention Month, and is applicable to youth and collegiate athletes struggling with their own mental health & wellness.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, this week we highlight how we can all take an active role in preventing suicide amongst adolescents. These five steps can all be related to youth and collegiate athletes as well.

https://www.chkd.org/Blog/Prevent-Suicide-with-These-5-Steps/

As we wrap up this month, we look at the importance of developing a routine for youth athletes.

Rennel Marshall from CHKD and ODU Athletics says physical and mental routines can go a long way towards improving overall performance. 

Full conversation with Marshall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALQ2xppm00M

Our focus for August is on self care for athletes, and how taking care of oneself physically and mentally can improve overall performance. With fall sports practice starting for Leagues and schools across Virginia it’s important for athletes to prioritize self-care.

Director of CHKD Sports Medicine, Dr. Joel Brenner, describes how prioritizing sleep can improve an athlete’s state of mind and performance on the field of play.

Full conversation with Dr. Brenner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQd7qQJeFUs&t=8s

Our focus for August is on self-care for athletes, and how taking care of oneself physically and mentally, can improve overall performance. With fall sports practice starting for leagues and schools across Virginia its important for athletes to prioritize self-care. Director of Sports Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Dr. Joel Brenner, encourages young athletes to practice “mindfulness” as way to improve performance and mental health.

Full conversation with Dr. Brenner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQd7qQJeFUs&t=8s

Our focus for July is on coping strategies. Sometimes the pressure to perform on the field can impact a young athlete’s overall mental health. In one of our previous conversations, Cox High School field hockey player, Addie Froehlich, detailed how the pressure she put on herself athletically, impacted her school and personal lives.

Here she details how she was able to find ways to cope with the pressure, and refocus, all of which helped her become a better athlete.

Full conversation with Froehlich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuXcJddI-Kk&t=213s

Our focus for July is on coping strategies. Certified Mental Performance Coach (CPMC) Kiersten Janjigian examines how mental performance training can improve how an athlete copes with an injury, loss, or criticism.

Full conversation with Kiersten Janjigian: https://lnkd.in/gsy5Y6yJ

Our focus for July is on coping strategies. This week we hear from Dr. Joel Brenner, Director of Sports Medicine at CHKD. Dr. Brenner discusses the effects an injury can have on a youth athlete, beyond just the physical component, and how a good support system can help improve the athlete’s mental health & wellness.

Full conversation with Dr. Brenner: https://youtu.be/iQd7qQJeFUs