By Mallory Mattingly
As involvement in youth sports continues to grow, mental health disorders among young athletes have also increased.
A study found that 17% of young athletes are struggling with at least one mental health disorder. Additionally, 80% of youth athletes have experienced some form of psychological harm, according to the U.S. Center for Safesport.
That’s why the Courage First Athlete Helpline was created.
Many athletes don’t seek help for their mental health which creates more issues — such as burnout, struggling in school, depression or anxiety — for them down the road.
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The Courage First Athlete Helpline is a free, 24-hour “call, text, and chat service for athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone in sports communities who has questions or concerns about abuse or mental well-being in athletics.”
“Childhelp launched the Courage First Athlete Helpline to ensure athletes, families, and sports communities have access to confidential, trauma-informed support and guidance, so concerns can be addressed early, voices can be heard, and abuse can be prevented,” Virginia Bagby, director of the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, which includes the Courage First Athlete Helpline, told Parents.
Babgy created the helpline as cases of abuse and mental health struggles among young athletes increased.
“High-profile cases, most notably the abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar against athletes within Team USA, demonstrated that even athletes with significant visibility, resources, and access to support can be repeatedly victimized,” she explained. “These cases revealed how predators can exploit the structure, culture, and power dynamics of sports to gain access to young people and silence them.”
A major factor in the increase mental struggles stems the pressure these athletes experience to perform, not just from their coaches, but also from their parents.
“Kids have to pick the sole sport they’re going to play throughout high school much earlier in life, while parents are living vicariously through their kids and applying additional daily stress and pressure to perform and train,” Jerry Weichman, PhD, said.
“Many coaches in these programs also feel the pressure to perform and win, in order to maintain both their credibility as well as the credibility of the program, which creates the allure for future families,” he continued.
Coaches “are not focused on the person or their mental health — its just about maximizing performance to tease out the best select group of starters to get the win,” Weichman added.
The Courage First Athlete Helpline wants athletes to know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
“Strength Through Struggle. Every athlete faces challenges — on and off the field. Remember: asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. The Courage First Athlete Helpline is here to support you through every struggle. You are never alone,” the organization shared in a social media post.
While youth sports are a great outlet for children and teens, resources like the Courage First Athlete Helpline can aid them when problems like struggling with the pressure to perform, performance anxiety, neglect, psychological harm, abuse or other mental health issues arise.
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