The Ohio State University Partners with USCAH to Expand Reach of Mental Health Training to Coaches Nationwide

Columbus, Ohio - LiFEsports at The Ohio State University proudly announces a groundbreaking collaboration with the U.S. Council for Athletes' Health (USCAH) funded by the Susan Crown Exchange to revolutionize mental health training for coaches across the United States. This launch is timely as school and communities are experiencing the effects of the youth mental health crisis and student-athletes are not immune to experiencing heightened demands, stressors, and pressures. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) estimated 40% of adolescents report feeling persistently sad and hopeless , and many studies show student-athletes experience similar mental health risks compared to their non-athlete peers. 

Coach Beyond, developed by OSU's LiFEsports Initiative, is a pioneering coach training and education program designed to empower coaches, athletic directors, educators, youth workers, and other adults working with young people with the knowledge and tools to support the holistic health and well-being of student-athletes. The intital partnership with USCAH strives to equip 25,000 coaches nationwide with a free mental health training by 2025. 

"Coaches play a pivotal role in the lives of student-athletes, not only in athletic development but also in fostering their overall well-being," said LiFEsports Executive Director Dr. Dawn Anderson-Butcher.  "Our collaboration with USCAH underscores our dedication to equipping coaches nationwide with an interactive and engaging mental health training to help them foster environments where athletes feel safe and supported."

This 1-hour online module hosted on the USCAH Athletic Healthspace platform helps coaches learn strategies to check-in with athletes and wellness techniques they can embed in practice and before competitions. In addition, coaches watch simulations of  coaches responding to an at-risk student-athlete. The interactive videos and knowledge checks help coaches understand formative skills such as asking open-ended questions, engaging in active listening, collaborating to seek additional supports, and referring student-athletes to mental health providers in their schools and communities. Most importantly, the training educates coaches on what to do if a student-athlete discloses thoughts of suicide. 

Coach Beyond believes in the power of training coaches to support student-athlete mental health. Many are unaware of the risks facing student-athletes today. Indeed, a recent study published by researchers at the University of Washington found deaths by suicide among NCAA athletes increased in both males and females throughout the 20-year study period, and suicide is now the second most common cause of death in this population (Whelan et al., 2024). Greater suicide prevention efforts geared towards coaches and student-athletes are needed. “Findings from an evaluation of our online mental health training show coaches report a significant increase in their knowledge of mental health concerns, awareness of common signs and symptoms, and increased confidence in their ability to support and link and refer student-athletes to supports after completing this training compared to before taking the training.” Said  Dr. Samantha Bates, the Director of Research for LiFEsports and assistant professor of social work at Ohio State. “ We are proud of this impact and the ripple effects of coaches being able to going beyond the X’s and O’s.” 

USCAH provides a worldclass online learning environment for coaches on a user-friendly platfrom. "We are excited to partner with Coach Beyond to provide mental health training to high school and youth coaches," said James Borchers, President and CEO of USCAH. "We feel this is a critical training for coaches of young people to be equipped with." To sign up for a free mental health training course for coaches, click here. Use these directions to obtain access.