COLORADO SPRINGS — Fifteen hundred youth participants have signed up for a hybrid, virtual and in-person Youth Sports Forum aimed at discussing mental wellbeing for young athletes. The event will be held at the Olympic and Paralympic Museum and online for participants.
While elite athletes such as Simone Biles are sparking the conversation of mental health in sports, the conversation among youth sports lacks direction for coaches, athletes, and their parents.
That is why TrueSport and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency have teamed up to present today’s forum for youth athletes. The forum will discuss the importance of mental health and how the mind is just as important as any physical injury. These two things can often go hand in hand.
Elite athletes at the highest level, including Olympic Bronze medalist Gracie Gold, are sharing their experiences. Nationally recognized youth sports influencers, including Dr. Brittany Patterson, will be joining in on the conversation.
“We believe at TrueSport and at USADA that athlete health is paramount to the success of them both in their sport, but also in life and we know that sport transcends both of those experiences, so we think that this is a great opportunity to really normalize the conversation,” said Dr. Jennifer Royer, the Athlete Education Director for the U.S. Anti- Doping Agency.
“For young athletes today to see their idols talking about their challenges and where they’ve really had to practice skillsets to make things better for themselves is such a great learning opportunity for our young athletes.”
Today’s virtual and in-house forum will be divided into four sessions titled, “Competing Well: Athletes and Mental Wellness, Cultivating Cultures for Mental Wellness in Youth Sport, Community & Connection: How Healthy Sports Environments are Made and Capacity Building for Resilience: Skills for Athletes.”
The event will also provide resources for mental wellness for youth athletes.
Anyone who is interested in participating in today’s forum can visit here.
