Joint Blog: Mental Health Colorado and Athlete EDGE® Partner During Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Strengthening Mental Health Education for Coaches and Support for Youth Athletes Across Colorado
Why Mental Health Education for Coaches of Youth Athletes Matters During Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Eating Disorders Awareness Week, observed February 24 to March 1, is a time to move beyond awareness alone and toward meaningful change. This year’s theme, Fighting for Change. Committed to Change. Every BODY Belongs, reflects an urgent truth. Young people deserve systems that protect their well-being before a crisis begins, especially in environments where pressure, performance, and physical risk intersect.
For youth athletes, competitive performance can be a source of confidence, connection, and purpose. It can also be a setting where mental health challenges, eating disorders, and injury-related stress quietly take hold. That is why Athlete EDGE at EDCare and Mental Health Colorado are partnering during Eating Disorders Awareness Week to elevate Colorado Senate Bill 26-060, legislation focused on youth athlete mental health education and coach training.
This bill is not only about compliance. It is about prevention, early identification, and creating athletic environments where recovery, health, and belonging are prioritized alongside performance.
Why Youth Athletics Are a Critical Mental Health Setting
Youth athletics place adults in uniquely influential roles. Coaches often see young athletes more consistently than any other non-family adults. They witness shifts in mood, energy, behavior, and engagement long before concerns rise to a clinical level.
- At the same time, young athletes face layered pressures, including:
- Expectations around performance and achievement
- Messages about body shape, strength, and weight
- Fear of losing identity or team status due to injury
- Cultural norms that reward pushing through discomfort, heedless of risk
These pressures matter because mental health challenges frequently emerge during youth. Research shows that one in five adolescents experiences a diagnosable mental health condition, yet many go unidentified or unsupported (Merikangas et al., 2010). Within sports, those struggles may be hidden behind dedication, discipline, or resilience.
SB26-060 acknowledges that youth athletics are not just physical spaces. They are mental and emotional ecosystems that require informed leadership.
What SB26-060 Does and Why It Matters
SB26-060 requires mental health training for youth sports coaches and requires that coaches notify parents about potential mental health risks associated with concussions. This dual focus is essential.
The bill recognizes three realities:
- Education changes outcomes
Coaches who receive mental health training are better equipped and empowered to recognize concerning patterns and respond appropriately rather than missing or misinterpreting signs of distress. - Early identification reduces harm
When concerns are noticed early, young athletes are more likely to receive timely, effective support. - Concussions are not only physical injuries
Concussions can affect mood, impulse control, stress tolerance, and self-perception, all of which intersect with eating disorder risk.
Mental Health Colorado has long advocated for policies that strengthen access, education, and equity across mental health systems. SB26-060 aligns with that mission by embedding mental health awareness directly into youth athletics infrastructure, where prevention can truly begin.
The Overlooked Link Between Concussions, Mental Health, and Eating Disorders
Concussions are common among young athletes, and their psychological effects are often underestimated. Each year, an estimated 1.1 to 1.9 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur among U.S. children and adolescents (Bryan et al., 2016).
Following a concussion, athletes may experience:
- Mood changes, including anxiety or low mood
- Disrupted routines and loss of sport participation
- Heightened focus on body control or performance recovery
- Increased vulnerability to rigid thinking patterns
Research indicates that adolescents with a history of concussion are significantly more likely to report mental health challenges, including anxiety and depressive symptoms (Emery et al., 2016). For some athletes, these shifts can contribute to the development or worsening of eating disorder behaviors, particularly when food, body control, or training become coping mechanisms.
When a young athlete is sidelined from engagement in their activity, their sense of identity can feel threatened. Without education and support, attempts to “regain control” may emerge in harmful ways. SB26-060 directly addresses this gap by ensuring coaches are trained to understand these risks and parents are informed.
Athletes and Eating Disorders: A Population at Higher Risk
Athletes are not immune to eating disorders. In fact, research suggests that athletes may be at equal or higher risk than non-athletes, particularly in competitive activities that emphasize leanness, endurance, or aesthetics (Sundgot-Borgen & Torstveit, 2004). Performance expectations, injury recovery, and activity-specific body ideals can all contribute to vulnerability, especially during adolescence.
The Athlete EDGE® program at EDCare Denver provides specialized care for athletes ages 13 and older, grounded in the understanding that recovery must not only address both physical and mental healing, but also an athlete’s relationship with their activity. Athletes are supported by a multidisciplinary team who are trained to work specifically with athletic populations.
As Linda Steinhardt, MS, RD, CSSD, CEDS, Director of Nutrition Services for Athlete EDGE at EDCare, explains:
“When athletes are injured or recovering from a concussion, they can feel disconnected from their bodies, teammates, and their sport. Being sidelined due to injury can be difficult socially, and furthermore, can also make it feel difficult to eat in a way that still supports their needs and physical recovery when not engaging in the movement they are used to. There is also a neurometabolic cascade that occurs with concussions that can temporarily disrupt hunger and satiety signals, mood, emotion regulation, etc. that has been linked to potential risk for eating disorders. Without proper guidance, that vulnerability can increase the risk for disordered eating. Education and coordinated support during these moments are critical for protecting both mental and physical health.”
Treatment within Athlete EDGE is intentionally collaborative and extends beyond the clinical setting. When appropriate, the team works closely with an athlete’s family, school, coaches, athletic trainers, and broader support system to promote consistency in messaging around health, fueling, rest, and recovery. This connection helps reduce mixed messages, supports safer return-to-play decisions, and reinforces recovery across all areas of an athlete’s life.
By treating athletes within the full context of their sport, community, and support systems, Athlete EDGE® at EDCare helps athletes heal while preserving their identity, values, and connection to the activities they love.
What Coaches and Families Should Be Aware Of
Mental health and eating disorder concerns rarely appear overnight. They often show up as subtle shifts that trusted adults are well-positioned to notice.
Potential warning signs may include:
- Increased rigidity around food, training, or routines
- Heightened distress after injury or time away from athletic activity
- Changes in mood, energy, or social engagement
- Difficulty resting, fueling, or returning to activity safely
Just as important as identifying signs is how concerns are addressed. Supportive, non-judgmental language helps preserve trust and encourages help-seeking.
Supportive approaches include:
- Expressing care without assumptions
- Emphasizing health over performance
- Reinforcing that support is available and effective
Mental health training, as required by SB26-060, gives coaches the knowledge and confidence to respond appropriately.
Why This Moment Matters
Protecting and promoting the mental health of young athletes is a core priority for Mental Health Colorado and EDCare this year. SB26-060 represents a proactive, prevention-focused approach that reflects what research and lived experience have made clear. Mental health education saves lives, reduces suffering, and supports recovery long before a crisis occurs.
During Eating Disorders Awareness Week, we have an opportunity to commit to systems that ensure every young athlete has a fair chance to thrive, on and off the field.
Learn More and Stay Connected
Read more about SB26-060
Strengthens early identification and support for young athletes.
Athlete EDGE® at EDCare
Offers free, confidential assessments. Most insurances are accepted, and housing is available.
- Website: www.athleteEDGE.care
- Phone: 303-771-0861
References
Bryan, M. A., Rowhani-Rahbar, A., Comstock, R. D., & Rivara, F. (2016). Sports- and recreation-related concussions in US youth. Pediatrics, 138(1), e20154635. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-4635
Emery, C. A., Barlow, K. M., Brooks, B. L., et al. (2016). A systematic review of psychiatric, psychological, and behavioural outcomes following mild traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 61(5), 259–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743716643741
Merikangas, K. R., He, J. P., Burstein, M., et al. (2010). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(10), 980–989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017
Sundgot-Borgen, J., & Torstveit, M. K. (2004). Prevalence of eating disorders in elite athletes is higher than in the general population. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 14(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1097/00042752-200401000-00005
In Crisis? Help is Available Now.
Mental Health Colorado is an advocacy organization. We do not provide crisis services, clinical care, or direct mental health support. The organization’s contact information is for non-crisis inquiries and is monitored during business hours only.