Mental Health Literacy Training for Coaches

There has been an increase in awareness towards the mental health of athletes. With prominent figures in the world of athletics putting themselves first over their sport. The sports world is shaken every time there is a report of death by suicide, such as the passing of Tyler Hilinski, quarterback for Washington State. A study done over the course of 20 years, published in April of 2024 stated that suicide is now the second leading cause of death among student-athletes (Whelan et al., 2024). Becoming independent and coping with the uncertainty that college brings are some of the developmental challenges that student-athletes face. (Powers et al., 2020). Athletes are often seen as non-human because of their fantastic feats on the field/courts, while having to contend with extra pressures that their non athlete counterparts do not experience. The coach-athlete relationship plays a major role in the mental health of student-athletes (Powers et al., 2020). With proper training, coaches will recognize and get their athletes the right help they need.Keywords: Mental Health, College Athletics, Coaches, Student-Athletes