Senate Bill 550 is key for the mental health of youth athletes, advocates say

What brings a state lawmaker, a mother of a late Miss America, and a professional basketball player together? The growing concern over mental health. Advocates gathered during a press conference the state legislature on Tuesday to highlight the importance of Senate Bill 550, titled, “Coaches Care Act.”

If the bill were to become law, the State Board of Education would have to require all middle and high school coaches and athletic directors to possess an unexpired certificate from their approved mental health training programs. The courses are designed to help coaches recognize symptoms of mental health challenges and substance abuse, to then support youth with those challenges and connecting them with professional resources. 

“I think we’ve seen, especially throughout North Carolina, mental health — whether it’s anxiety, depression, et cetera — has become essentially an epidemic,” said Sen. Caleb Theodros, D-Mecklenburg, a sponsor of the bill. “It’s become sort of the source of a lot of the problems that we’re in this building trying to fix.”

If all of the coaches in a youth athletics organization do not have a current certificate from the mental health training, under the bill, they would not be allowed to access city or county facilities. 

The specific training selected in the bill are designed by the National Health Council for Mental Wellbeing. One is the “Youth Mental Health First Aid” course and the other is the “Teen Mental Health First Aid” course. The Board, in collaboration with the Center for Safer Schools, Department of Health and Human Services, and the University of North Carolina School of Social Work, would not be able to research and approve a different training program until 2031.

During the press conference, advocates shared experiences they had with youth who had mental health challenges. 

One of the advocates was April Simpkins, who has three children who played sports at Division I  programs and who identifies as an athlete herself. She said that she became more vocal as a mental health advocate after the death of her daughter, Cheslie Kryst.

Kryst was an attorney and news correspondent known for being crowned Miss USA in 2019. Kryst was also a Division I track athlete, her mother said.

“Her physical strength was immense, but Cheslie battled a mental illness which does not discriminate. Cheslie lost her battle and succumbed to her illness, and in January of 2022, she died by suicide. Mental health first aid training gave me the understanding and language I need to help me connect with my five children that I still have with me,” Simpkins said. “It helped me become a safer, more supportive space for my children and for others. If we equip our coaches with that same knowledge, we create a system of early awareness. We build a net to catch kids before they fall.” 

L’Oreal Gamble, who is a professional basketball player and the assistant coach of a Raleigh high school girls’ basketball team, said that she is proof that coaches can care about players, foster a positive environment and still win games. 

In her remarks, Gamble listed the many factors that can damage an athlete’s mental health, including social media comments about an athlete’s college offers, body image, and frequently posted rankings. Additionally, Gamble said that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that youth interact, making them more socially awkward or more likely to shut down in uncomfortable situations. 

“With the proper training from the act, I believe coaches will see signs early. And maybe not use reverse psychology approaches by telling them, ‘You’ll be okay’ or ‘Suck it up and push through’ in efforts to motivate. Instead, the coach will recognize and act on it,” Gamble said. 

Theodros said that coaches are not there to become therapists. But required training would be “one additional tool” that the coach can have to push a kid to realize how important mental health is. 

If the Democratic-sponsored bill were to become law, it would become effective on July 1, 2026.