Youth sports are often said to positively impact children—helping them gain confidence, teaching them teamwork and problem-solving skills, and boosting their self-esteem. But for some, the pressures to perform well or win games, compounded with the influence of coaches, parents, or both, often lead to the opposite outcome. Shut Out the Stigma, a partnership between Blue KC and The Kansas City Royals, is expanding its focus on mental health to explore pressures young athletes face both on and off the field.Â
Towering ten feet high and seven feet wide, an art installation titled Open Letter at the Mid-America Sports Complex in Shawnee, Kansas, is based on a compilation of real letters written by youth athletes from the area. Written to parents, guardians, and coaches, each letter delivers a powerful message about how the post-game car ride home can affect a child athlete’s mental health. A second letter installation is located at the Capitol Federal Sports Complex in Liberty, Missouri, also sharing a child’s feelings about the need to constantly succeed.Â
According to Blue KC, roughly 27.4 million children between the ages of 6 and 17 play youth sports, making this issue a priority for millions of families across the country. “Young athletes who experience high external and internal pressures to perform, including pressures from parents and coaches, are more likely to burn out and develop behavioral health conditions,” says Greg Sweat, a physician, senior vice president and chief health officer of Blue KC. “This risk is exacerbated if the child only plays one sport.”
Even the most well-intentioned parents understand that some conversations can do more harm than good, so Blue KC-certified behavioral health specialists developed a conversational guideline for encouraging and supporting youth athletes without packing on the pressure. With 50 percent of lifelong mental health conditions beginning by the age of 14, according to Sweat, “we need to realize the way we talk to our kids about sports can influence success and long-term happiness.”
The Open Letter submissions to this new campaign shine a light on the different ways young people don’t feel good enough, no longer look forward to playing, and are afraid to let their parents and coaches down. With 70 percent of youth quitting organized sports by the age of 13, according to Blue KC, the attitude of perfectionism in sports is taking its toll. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City will release Not Good Enough, a film examining this issue, also in partnership with the Kansas City Royals.
To date, over $60,000 has been raised in support of behavioral health through Blue KC’s partnership with the KC Royals. Learn more about Shut Out the Stigma or read the Open Letter submissions.