NBPA and 5 other sports unions team up for mental-health awareness

In their latest effort to invest resources, raise awareness andbuild a safe space for the wellness of the professional athletecommunity, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), National BasketballPlayers Association (NBPA), NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), MLBPlayers Association (MLBPA), MLS Players Association (MLSPA) andWomen’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) announced acollaborative campaign on Monday for May’s Mental Health AwarenessMonth.The emotional well-being and mental challenges of athletes haveoften been ignored or swept under the competitive fabric of sports.By coming together in the name of mental health and wellness, thesesix professional sports unions are demonstrating their ongoing,unified commitment to prioritize this important issue among theirplayers while empowering the broader community to do the same.The month-long initiative aims to normalize mental health as avital component to our general, physical health that touches peoplein all walks of life, including athletes. Through player quotesfrom members of the various sports unions as well as tips andresources shared by wellness experts, several themes will threadtogether the social media-driven campaign: mental health is adriver of performance; mental health is a team game; mental healthis about recovery and resilience; and how to be a mental healthadvocate.Along with championing inspirational stories of hope from athletes,these sports unions will also highlight the various mental-healthundertakings led by them and their player members. Thisdemonstration of shared support for mental health will not onlyreinforce the human side of sports but also further the push toprovide both athletes and their communities with the necessarywellness resources.

“In the spirit of solidarity, the National Football LeaguePlayers Association, National Basketball Players Association,National Hockey League Players’ Association, Major League BaseballPlayers Association, Major League Soccer Players Association andWomen’s National Basketball Players Association have come togetherfor the first time in collaboration to recognize the importance ofour players’ mental health and wellness,” the six sports unionssaid in a joint statement.

“‘MentalHealthisMAYnstream’ will advance the national andglobal conversation around mental health and wellness and relate itto the experiences of athletes at every level of competition.”