National Coaches Day: How Coaches Can Help Empower Our Youth and Address Mental Health Challenges

This National Coaches Day, we are proud to celebrate the coaches and mentors who inspire young people to push harder, dream bigger, and grow stronger. Coaches see young athletes not only as players on a field or court, but as whole people navigating a wide range of challenges that go beyond the outcome of a game. Coaches are often among the first adults outside the home to notice when a young person is struggling. That is why the Coalition to Empower our Future is proud to release a new video featuring high school coaches Jermaine Walker and Jared Mounts speaking candidly about the complexity of youth mental health and the urgent need for a comprehensive response.

Coaches Walker and Mounts discuss how pressures from academics, sports, and personal life compound in ways that can overwhelm a young person. And they emphasize that a single program or intervention rarely meets the full scope of what students need.

Coaches are champions of the game, but even more importantly, they are champions of the whole person. By serving as a sounding board for kids outside of the home, coaches are an essential resource in the effort to address mental health challenges. Additionally, coaches often serve as a go-to resource for parents trying to figure out how to best support their children’s mental wellbeing. In fact, according to research CEF recently conducted, 86% of parents reported that they rely on coaches or other after-school instructors to support their child’s mental health.

By bringing coaches to the table, we can begin to meet the complexity of the youth mental health crisis with the comprehensive solutions it deserves.

At the Coalition to Empower our Future, our mission is to bring together leaders across sectors and communities to tackle the youth mental health crisis head-on. On National Coaches Day, we’re proud to highlight the vital role coaches play in that work, and we’re committed to building a future where every young person can thrive.

Watch the full video HERE