Mental health training newly required for some NC coaches. Could it become law?
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- NCHSAA requires all high school sports head coaches to do youth mental health training.
- A bill would require middle and high school coaches to take youth mental health training.
- NAMI North Carolina reports 128,000 North Carolinians ages 12–17 had depression.
A North Carolina lawmaker is working to enshrine a new mental health training mandate for coaches into state law to help identify signs of challenges in young athletes.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association on Wednesday unanimously voted to require all high school sports head coaches in the state to undergo youth mental health training every three years.
A day later, state Sen. Caleb Theodros, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, renewed his push for legislation that would legally require all middle and high school coaches and athletic directors to be certified in a youth training program known as mental health first aid.
The training includes how to identify and respond when a student exhibits signs of struggling with their mental health.
Theodros and mental health advocates spoke to the close relationship that students have with their coaches, who see them often and in an extracurricular setting.
Based on data from 2021, the National Alliance on Mental Illness North Carolina reported that 128,000 North Carolinians between the ages of 12 and 17 have depression.
Senate Bill 550, also known as the Coaches Care Act, was filed last year by Theodros and his fellow Charlotte Democrat, Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed. Theodros said the next step is to get the bill out of committee with support from Republicans, some of whom have already voiced support for the bill.
“We know the reality across the state and across this country. Young people are struggling with anxiety, depression, stress and burnout,” he said. “... They’re showing up in our classrooms, in our fields, in our communities.”
Theodros said the practical implementation of the bill’s goals, including which coaches would be required to undergo training and how the $30 to $40 training sessions would be paid for, is still being discussed. The bill’s current version would require training for all middle school coaches in addition to high school.
He told reporters the NCHSAA’s vote allows for partial implementation of the bill, “and the rest of it, of course, we’re going to continue to be creative, but also talk to our colleagues across the aisle as well.”
The NCHSAA did consider extending the requirement to cover all high school coaches, including assistants and volunteers, but decided that it could become burdensome to those who do not work directly in the school district.
Theodros told The News & Observer that there was “plenty of time to work on the implementation.”
“Our initial sort-of act was to ensure how the coaches get the proper resources that they need,” he said. “And then of course, we’re going to work on ensuring that every person in society gets the mental health first aid training.”
Youth mental health
April Simpkins, a mental health advocate, said at Theodros’ press conference that she became more outspoken after her daughter, 2019 Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, struggled with mental illness and died by suicide in 2022.
Simpkins emphasized the close relationship between coaches and students, including her own children’s relationships with their coaches. She said the training will be beneficial for coaches for their own personal mental health as well.
Lillian Davis, the director of public policy and advocacy for NAMI North Carolina, said silence and stigmas around mental health must end.
“We want our young adults to be able to come forward and be able to share that physical and mental health,” she said. “And when they need things, we want to be able to give them that support they need.”
The alliance also reported that high school students with depression are more than twice as likely to drop out of school versus their peers.
