Presentation by Kate Nematollahi, Director of Education Programs, National Alliance for Youth Sports

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Mental Health:
Stress and Pressures of Young
Athletes
+
An Introduction to NAYS

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• Nonprofit organization
• Founded in 1981
• Trained more than 4
million youth sports
coaches, administrators,
officials and parents
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Mental health includes our
emotional, psychological, and social
well-being. It affects how we think,
feel, and act. It also helps determine
how we handle stress, relate to
others, and make healthy choices.
- CDC

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• Exercise
• Social connections
• Fun! Promote positive
mood
• Increase self esteem
• Better sleep patterns
• Distraction
• Setting and striving for
goals
• Relieve stress
• Reduce anxiety and
depression
Positive benefits of sport related to mental health:

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• Stress before a
competition
• Fear of failure
• Performance anxiety
• Choking
• Struggles with team
relationships
• Lack of confidence
• Harsh self-judgement
• Disappointment about
growth as an athlete
• Emotional outbursts after
making a mistake
Common mental struggles for youth athletes:

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• Overwhelm from their
schedule
• Pressure to win from
coaches
• Unrealistic expectations
from parents
• Mild depression after an
injury if they cannot play
the sport they love
• Athletic identity of self-
worth, which is often
dependent on their
performance
Common mental struggles for youth athletes:

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68%
of student-athletes surveyed reported
feelings of anxiety and depression at
levels that would typically require
medical intervention since pandemic
started
(up 37 percent from past research studies)
Source: UW Health https://www.uwhealth.org/news/more-than-two-thirds-of-high-school-
athletes-report-anxiety-and-depression-since-pandemic/53429 Date Published: 07/02/2020

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Everyone you meet is
fighting a battle you know
nothing about.
Image: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

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U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a
mental health disorder each year
• Anxiety Disorders
• Clinical Depression
• Eating disorders
• Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
of all lifetime mental illness begins
by age 14, and 75% by age 24
of youth with major depression do
not receive any mental health
treatment
Sources: Whitney DG, Peterson MD. US National and State-Level Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders and Disparities of Mental
Health Care Use in Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(4):389–391. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5399
-Mental Health America
1 in 6
50%
64%

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https://youtu.be/Sdk7pLpbIls

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Helping young athletes cope
with stress and pressures of
sport

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Helping young athletes
Respond with
empathy
“Is everything is okay?”
Acknowledge
their emotions
”It seems you are feeling
[emotion] about [situation].
Is that right? If so, I would
completely understand.”

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Image:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:The_Feeling_Wheel.pn
g

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Mental skills

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Mental skills
Mental tactics
• Breathing exercises -
relaxation and
meditation
• YouTube
• Headspace
• Thought control -
Mental
toughness trainers
have advice for
redirecting stress into
motivation
Image: Amanda Mills https://pixnio.com/sport/fitness-and-
jogging/yoga-class-a-cross-legged-palms-up-meditation-
position

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Mental skills
Mental tactics
• Positive mantras,
scripts, signals
• Recite affirmations
• Visualization
Wikimedia Commons | License details

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Seeking help
If there is any concern about the
mental well-being, encourage athletes
to seek help from school counselor,
local resources, and national
advocacy organizations.
Help for mental illness:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-
help/index.shtml

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Balance
• Encourage other
hobbies and
activities, outside of
sports.
• Something to turn to
when feel stress and
pressure of sport.
Image: Flickr | License details

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Sleep
• Overall mental health cannot
be achieved without quality
sleep
• Mood stabilization, appetite
control, and immune system
health.
• Mind and body repair during
sleep.
• American Academy of
Pediatrics:
– Age 6 to 12 years should
sleep 9 to 12 hours per day
on a regular basis
– Age 13 to 18 years should
sleep 8 to 10 hours per day
on a regular basis.
• A consistent schedule.
• Turning off screens early.
Image: Wikimedia Commons | License details

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Mental skills for success in
sports and life

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Information Sources
• Sources: Guarin, Jhon, "The Effect of Team Sports On Mental Health In Adolescents"
(2018). Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education Synthesis Projects.
https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1065&context=pes_synthesis
• Easterlin MC, Chung PJ, Leng M, Dudovitz R. Association of Team Sports Participation With Long-
term Mental Health Outcomes Among Individuals Exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences.
JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Jul 1;173(7):681-688. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1212. PMID: 31135890;
PMCID: PMC6547068.
• UW Health https://www.uwhealth.org/news/more-than-two-thirds-of-high-school-athletes-report-
anxiety-and-depression-since-pandemic/53429 Date Published: 07/02/2020
• Whitney DG, Peterson MD. US National and State-Level Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders and
Disparities of Mental Health Care Use in Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(4):389–391.
doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5399
• Nicolas M, Gaudreau P, Franche V. Perception of coaching behaviors, coping, and achievement in a
sport competition. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2011;33(3):460–468.
• Carter CW, Micheli LJ. Training the child athlete: physical fitness, health and injury. Br J Sports Med..
2011 Sep 1;45(11):880-5.
• Tamminen KA, Holt NL. A meta-study of qualitative research examining stressor appraisals and
coping among adolescents in sport. J Sports Sci. 2010 Dec;28(14):1563-80. doi:
10.1080/02640414.2010.512642. PMID: 21058168.

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More Resources
• Youth Mental Health First Aid https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Behavioral Health Treatment Services
Locator https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
• National Alliance for Mental Illness https://www.nami.org/home - Helpline and confidential,
free crisis counseling
• Campaign to Change Direction https://www.changedirection.org/ The goal of the Campaign
to Change Direction is to change the culture of mental health so that all of those in need
receive the care and support they deserve.
– Five Signs of Emotional Suffering
– Free resources for staying mentally healthy during coronavirus
• Sidelined USA https://www.sidelinedusa.org - Resources and community for medically
sidelined athletes
• Dr. Rob Bell, Mental Toughness Coach - Blog : www.drrobbell.com
• Patrick Cohn, Ph.D. Mental Training Expert at Peak Performance Sports
https://www.peaksports.com/sports-psychology-blog/
• NAYS Coaching Children with Mental Health Challenges Training – delves into common
mental health challenges and disorders that affect children
https://nays.org/nyscaonline/preview/mental-health.cfm

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FOR NAYS COACH MEMBERS – MENTAL HEALTH
TRAINING
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NAYS believes that every child deserves
to participate in a quality sports program
where they can learn both athletic and life
skills. It can only happen if the adults
involved have proper training and
information.

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TRAINING & MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS
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• Coach Management
• Participants/Kids
• Officials
• Dealing with Parents
• Volunteer Boards
• League Finance
• Youth Sports & the Law
• Marketing
• Includes $2,000,000
Excess General Liability
Insurance
FREE LEAGUE DIRECTOR TRAINING

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Look for Special Offer link

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NAYS Member Organizations have
access to an online account to manage
their coaches, parents, officials and
league directors.

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MEMBER ORGANIZATION ACCOUNT
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RYC =
RATE
YOUR
COACH
CLICK TO
VIEW
MEMBER
DETAILS

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PLANNING FOR SUCCESS - RESOURCES
• Four Core Areas to
provide national policy
guidance
• Offers specific policies
and procedures
• Assists decision making
process

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1. Written policies and
procedures
2. Volunteer screening
3. Coach training
4. Parent education
5. Accountability
Does your organization
have what it takes?
5 CATEGORIES OF QUALITY

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SELF - ASSESSMENT

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EARN THE DESIGNATION
• Apply at www.nays.org/quality
• All “Yes”? We verify it.
• Documents are reviewed.
• An official letter, certificate, digital logos and window
clings will be sent to your organization along with a
promotional guide to help you let everyone know that your
programs stands out!
• The designation is valid for a 2-year period
(then a renewal process will extend it for another cycle)

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MORE FROM NAYS
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ANNUAL YOUTH SPORTS
CONGRESS
ACADEMY FOR YOUTH SPORTS
ADMINISTRATORS
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
VOLUNTEER EDUCATION

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MORE FROM NAYS
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SPORTINGKID LIVE WEBSITE NAYS BLOG
FREE TRAININGS FREE RESOURCES

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National Alliance for Youth Sports
1-800-688-5437
nays.org
Thank you for all you do for the children in
your community!
nationalalliance4ys
@NAYS_edu
NationalAlliance4YS
national-alliance-for-youth-sports
naysyouthsports
nays.org