Shut Out the Stigma<\/a> partnership. Now in its third year, Shut Out the Stigma is broadening its focus to educate parents, coaches, and guardians on the pressure kids face on and off the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cYoung 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,\u201d said Dr. Greg Sweat, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer, Blue KC. \u201cThis risk is exacerbated if the child only plays one sport. Coupled with the fact that 50% of lifelong mental health conditions begin by the age of 14, we need to realize the way we talk to our kids about sports can influence success and long-term happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dear Mom & Dad<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nRoughly 27.4 million children between the ages of 6 and 17 play sports. And chances are, a parent or guardian comes to watch. The conversation in the minutes after the buzzer sounds is critical and can make or break many young athletes\u2019 self-confidence and self-worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To highlight the effort to change these conversations, Blue KC and the Royals recently unveiled the first in a series of larger-than-life letters written by youth athletes to parents, guardians, and coaches. Each letter delivers a powerful 10-foot-high-by-7-foot-wide message about the difficulty of having to constantly succeed. The letters are installed at the Urban Youth Academy and Blue Valley Rec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hear one of the letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n