STEWARTVILLE, Minn. – From school to sports to social lives, it’s no secret kids today face a lot of pressure. But sometimes how the pressure is getting to a student may be kept secret.
According to the National Alliance of Mental illness, one in five teens may be struggling with a mental illness but not willing to talk about it.
Stewartville High School is trying to change that. It gives its students on sports teams mental health training where teens learn tools to handle stress and anxiety.
Morgan Bailey is the girls soccer coach, which received a training session last week. A former athlete herself, she said resources like this weren’t available when she was in school.
“It’s kind of breaking that stigma, breaking down barriers, breaking down walls for these girls or boys, and kind of just helping them through life,” she said.
A teacher too, she sees how the training helps students on the field and in the classroom. Bailey said the school has been doing this kind of training for a few years, hoping to give students resources they can use for life.
“Not every kid is going to be a college athlete, not every kid is going to play professional sports, but every kid is going to be an adult some time in life and they have to have some kind of tool to get through,” she said. “Because at some point you're going to reach a tough time, and how are you going to get through it?”
The Stewartville Girls Soccer Team will get two more training sessions with the mental health coach throughout the season.
According to Bailey, the training sessions in total cost a little over $700.