As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we wanted to highlight the importance of coaches incorporating and practicing positive mental health practices with the youth that they work with. We asked two of our coaches in New York City, Woodley and Sawan, for their thoughts. Here is what they said.

Why do you think it is important to purposefully teach kids about mental health issues? 

Woodley Edouard, Bronx Lacrosse:

“Children become adults just like all of us. They are the future, so equipping them with good mental health practices helps promote a better future. It gives them tools to be able to handle the ups and downs of life. Implementing positive mental practices from a young age allows kids to build strong mental skill sets for their life endeavor's. Purposely teaching kids positive mental health may not seem significant, but I believe it can be an important step in positively impacting the world.”

Sawan Douge, Kids In The Game:

“I feel like it is important to teach kids about mental health so that they can learn more about themselves. Being able to learn about your own mental health can aid you to learn about yourself and why you react in certain ways to specific actions. “

Why do you think it is important to teach positive mental health practices alongside sports?

Woodley:

“Sports gives us a unique opportunity to constantly be in high pressure emotional situations. Everytime we face a conflict on the field, we learn to control our emotions and face our fears. Using positive mental health practices on the field to help conquer these moments can help kids create a positive growth mindset that can translate well beyond sports. A positive growth mindset was the best thing I've ever developed. The desire to get better, as well as the work ethic and self reflecting I gained from sports, helped me persevere in some of my darkest times.”

Sawan:

“Positive mental health practices in sports are important because they provide kids a way to relax and slow down games, school, and help them not be so stressed.”

What is one way that you incorporate a positive mental health practice into your own life?

Woodley:

“One way I incorporate positive health practices in my life is by being mindful. I like to do one thing a day that allows me to clear my mind and relax. These come in many forms, but I enjoy yoga and creating various kinds of art. Anything that positively benefits my mental health makes me happy.”

Sawan:

“For myself, I always like to practice breathing and meditation. I start and finish my day with minutes of breathing and meditation to just plan my day or end it.”

Woodley has been serving as an Up2Us Sports coach since 2019 at Bronx Lacrosse thanks to support from AmeriCorps.

Sawan has been serving as an Up2Us Sports coach since 2019 at Kids in the Game thanks to support from AmeriCorps.