How school coaches are prioritizing mental health for student athletes
Fairfax High School wrestling coach Lio Quezada prioritizes student athletes' mental health, following a movement among coaches to address mental well-being in youth sports. The Eric Monday Foundation provides mental health training for coaches, which is now required for all middle and high school coaches in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Lio Quezada, head coach of Fairfax High School's wrestling teams, believes that his experience as a youth athlete helped him find direction and overcome substance abuse. Now, he prioritizes his student athletes' mental health, ensuring they have support for both physical and mental development. The Eric Monday Foundation, named after a wrestler who died in 2009, provides free online mental health training for coaches. The training uses the LASRR acronym to guide coaches in listening, accepting, supporting, referring, and reporting mental health concerns. Fairfax County Public Schools now requires this training for all middle and high school coaches. Other organizations, such as Morgan's Message, also promote mental health awareness among student athletes.
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