Law Could Require Coach Training
Legislation being considered in Maryland would require coaches at public schools to receive mental health training to help them recognize signs of mental illness or distress in students.
Expect more states to entertain or develop legislation. The Aspen Institute surveyed coaches across the country and 18% said they feel confident in their ability to point athletes to mental health resources, while 67% said they wanted more training. In our poll of 3,900 coaches - of 5th grade through high school - an overwhelming 93% felt unprepared and concerned, despite many having already undergone some training.
Source: Based on study by The Behavioral Health Hour, n=3,916 coaches
Odds are, on a 12 player roster, at least 2 of the players have either an eating disorder or anxiety and possibly half of them have at one point dealt with some version of depression or mental stress that could use guidance.
“This doesn’t mean we need to change tactics as coaches but we need to understand that players in the 2020s have grown up differently, exposed to something we never did as kids,” said Tom Knight, 52, a high school lacrosse who said he started to take training seriously after one his players died by suicide.
Training
As a former youth coach, I know well the challenges of navigating x’s, o’x, skill development, mental health of players, winning and parent communication. It’s difficult and at times a full-time job - even for volunteers. Here are eight training pamphlet recommendations as part of a series we are creating:
How to identify signs of eating disorders in young athletes
How to talk to kids in the huddle
How to talk to parents before and after games
How to deal with players whose parents are divorced
How to deal with players who are struggling on the field/court
How to recognize anxiety that may be mistaken for being out of shape/tired/not ready to play
How to talk to kids on the ride home
How to deal with athletes in the days and weeks after injury
How to help athletes on the spectrum have a good experience
If interested in the training materials, contact us anytime - click here