Youth Sports Mental Health & Wellness Alliance

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and increased AWARENESS is exactly what we are striving for. No matter the level of sports, being willing to talk about and address mental health & wellness within your team, and organization is the first step to creating change. We are grateful youth athletes like Addie Froehlich from Cox High School in Virginia Beach are stepping up to be part of the culture change when it comes to how we view mental health in sports.

Full interview with Froehlich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuXcJddI-Kk

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Alliance aims to decrease the stigma around the issue of mental health in sports, which will ultimately lead to positive sports experiences for athletes. We are grateful when athletes share their stories. Today we hear from Addie Froehlich a senior at Cox High School in Virginia Beach. Froehlich discusses how the pressure she was placing on herself to perform athletically was affecting her performance on and off the field. We encourage you to watch the full conversation with Addie Froehlich where she details her struggles and how she overcame them. She will headed to Villanova University in the fall to continue to her athletic and academic pursuits.

Full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuXcJddI-Kk

Kicking off Mental Health Awareness Month, we encourage people to go back to the beginning of our focus on mental health in sports. Following our March 2020 event, “Building Mental Wellness, Boosting Sports Performance”, the Hall of Fame & CHKD hosted multiple virtual forums to address this issue and offer support, education, and resources to all involved in youth sports. “A Pandemic Playbook”, “Bench The Stigma”, and “#WHoRU“, brought together former and current athletes, clinical professionals, coaches, and parents to discuss a wide range of topics regarding mental health in sports. These forums were the springboard to creating the Youth Sports Mental Health & Wellness Alliance, and are available on the Hall of Fame’s website under the COMMUNITY tab. Today we go back to “Bench The Stigma”, and encourage people to learn more about and educate themselves on the issue of mental health in sports. While the stigma around the conversation continues to decrease, our preparedness to face the issue must continue to improve.

Our focus in April is Mental Health & Mental Performance. This week we look at myths associated with mental performance. Certified Mental Performance Coach (CPMC) Kiersten Janjigian outlines some misconceptions she has seen and heard in her line work.

Our focus in April is Mental Health & Mental Performance. This week we look at how youth athletes can learn to develop mental performance techniques. Certified Mental Performance Coach (CPMC) Kiersten Janjigian outlines some tips for athletes that can ultimately lead to increased enjoyment in their sports participation.

Full post:https://www.chkd.org/blog/building-mental-wellness,-boosting-sports-performance/?fbclid=IwAR2AHjGYEyg-gtWb7gTBdO4OMZJIhD34PAgD4xItIQ6Z1nBXE8S3H60gZ2k 

We shift our attention for April to Mental Health vs. Mental Performance. Its important to understand the difference between the two, and how they can complement the overall development of athletes. 2x Major League Baseball All-Star and 2018 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Michael Cuddyer, explains how he was able to maximize both during his career, and provides tips to improve both mental health and performance.

Full conversation with Michael: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTU_pvZwwxY

 Our March focus for #SportsMentalHealthMonday is Communication. Today we talk to 2x Major League Baseball All-Star and 2018 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer explains how coaches need to utilize effective communication with their athletes to maintain a positive mental health atmosphere within the team construct.

Full conversation with Michael: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTU_pvZwwxY

Our March focus for #SportsMentalHealthMonday is Communication.

Today we focus on the communication between teammates, and how support both on and off the playing surface can help support mental health & wellness. Teammates may not have all the answers, but recognizing when a teammate is struggling is an important first step. Thank you to Madeline Rudd from ODU Women’s Volleyball for her participation in #SportsMentalHealthMonday.

Full conversation with Madeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2oswuKRVew

Our March focus for #SportsMentalHealthMonday is Communication. Parents of student-athletes want what’s best for their kids, but effective communication is important to creating a positive sports experience.

Today we focus on the parent-athlete connection with John Cunningham from the Hampton Roads Youth Foundation, and how he has navigated the world of youth and intercollegiate athletics with his two sons. He explains how parents need to be cognizant of their approach when offering support and advice for their athletes.

Full conversation with John: https://youtu.be/4wDl6cHkTjE

Our March focus for #SportsMentalHealthMonday is Communication. This month we will explore how the different relationships within sports can use communication effectively to create a positive atmosphere.

Today we would like to highlight the communication between Athletic Trainers and athletes. March is National Athletic Training Month, and our friends with Norfolk Public Schools have created a daily “mental health check-in” platform to further prioritize mental health & wellness for its student-athletes.

The program was implemented district wide back in December, and is currently available to all active spring sports participants, 600 student-athletes.

Our February focus for #SportsMentalHealthMonday is how colleges & universities are approaching the issue of mental health for student-athletes. This week we look at it from the student-athlete perspective, and what questions should be asked when choosing the right college program. Thank you to Madeline Rudd from ODU Women’s Volleyball for her perspective and insight on this issue.

Full conversation with Madeline Rudd: https://youtu.be/H2oswuKRVew