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Mental Health Takes Center Stage in Athlete Community
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Number 22
Image source: Athletes for Hope
Mental Health Takes Center Stage in Athlete Community
Featured Focus: Athlete-Driven Impact, Health & Wellness, Partnerships for Good
Scope of Impact: National
Last month, four stellar nonprofit organizations — Athletes for Hope (AFH), Hilinski’s Hope Foundation (H3H), the Kevin Love Fund (KLF), and the Sarah Shulze Foundation (SSF) — joined forces for the second annual Athlete Mental Health Week, which took place from February 1-9, 2025. Together, they aimed to shake the stigma that shrouds mental health in the athletic world.
The week was filled with collective action, resource sharing, and honest conversations, with day focused on a unique topic, from social justice and trauma, to suicide prevention and substance use recovery. Through the week, the participating organizations amplified the voices of athletes and supported their wellbeing, acknowledging that mental health is as crucial as physical health, both on and off the field, court, or track.
More than 135 athletes, organizations, and advocates joined in the effort, showing us that it's time to prioritize mental health — not just for athletes, but for everyone.
For a few years now, there’s been growing momentum (and acceptance) around recognizing athletes as full human beings rather than spectacles and performers. From Simone Biles and DeMar Derozan to Kevin Love, professional athletes have been more vocal about what it's like to be in their shoes — to be under the microscope non-stop, to shoulder pressure and vitriol from fans, and to have doubts about their abilities or strength.
The second edition of Athlete Mental Health Week builds on that momentum, and as the conversation continues to evolve, more events like this can have an outsized impact on young fans who are only now realizing that the athletes they idolize are just like them: real, imperfect, worthy, and human.
Athletes for HopeMore about the organization’s history, mission, partners, and purpose. | Hilinski’s HopeNamed for Tyler Hilinski, the foundation fights to support the mental health of student athletes. | Kevin Love Fund’s SEL CurriculumFree social-emotional learning resources for teens and young adults. |
Sarah Shulze FoundationAdvocating for mental health awareness, student athlete advocacy, and women’s empowerment. | Coalition of Athletic Communities for Mental HealthA gathering of athletes, experts, and nonprofit leaders held this past Feb. | The Athletes’ CodeGatorade- sponsored athletes unite for a mental health PSA initiative as part of its “Pause is Power” campaign. |
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