Teal Talks Brings High School Students Together
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and the Kansas City Current hosted a Teal Talks event on August 27 at the Current’s University of Kansas Health System Training Center. This event was part of the Sideline the Stigma program, sponsored by Blue KC and focused on promoting actionable and practical resources to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and giving support to all Kansas Citians.
The three-hour event welcomed a group of high school female soccer athletes from the Kansas City community who are leaders on the pitch, in the classroom and in their daily lives. These young women joined in an afternoon of leadership seminars designed to unite student leaders, athletes and mental‑health advocates. Six high schools were represented at this event: East, Raytown, Guadalupe Centers, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Park Hill and Olathe.
“Blue KC and the KC Current have partnered together because we feel strongly in improving our community’s mental health,” said Jenny Housley, Blue KC Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. “The Teal Talks event was part of our Sideline the Stigma program, which is focused on providing practical resources, specifically to female youth athletes. It was wonderful to hear the voices of the local high school athletes who attended this event!”
Beacon Mental Health Services facilitated sessions during the day, centered on leadership and handling the pressures as a young female athlete. Established in 1990, Beacon provides safety-net services to Clay, Platte and Ray Counties in Missouri in the areas of mental and behavioral health and substance use disorders.
KC Current soccer players Laurel Ivory and Rocky Rodríguez sat on a panel describing their journeys with mental health and how that relates to their professional soccer careers.
Additionally, the students were treated to a facility tour and received a personalized, signed KC Current jersey and other memorable soccer gifts.
“Partnering with Blue KC for Teal Talks is such an important piece of long-term impact in our community and bringing awareness to how we all approach conversations around mental health,” said KC Current VP, Community Relations, Ben Aken. “This group of young athletes & team leaders truly embraced and leaned into our Sideline the Stigma program. We know that they left with a memorable experience, but more importantly, the tools they need to go back into their soccer teams and schools to make a lasting impact.”
Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs
Sideline the Stigma
