Mike Locksley is deeply familiar with the expression on an athlete’s face that indicates trouble.

He describes it as a glimpse into a person’s inner turmoil.

This seasoned college football coach has observed it in his players and witnessed it in his own child.

“I didn’t realize what was happening until it hit home,” he reflects, noting his ignorance of their struggles. “I had no clue about what they were going through.”

On September 3, 2017, while serving as an assistant coach at Alabama during a game in Atlanta, Locksley received devastating news: his son, Meiko, had been shot and killed outside a townhouse in Columbia, Maryland. The investigation remains largely unresolved.

Before his tragic death, Meiko, a 25-year-old ex-Division I football player, had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. His parents believe he struggled to separate reality from delusions, which they think may have contributed to his fatal incident.

“Losing my son was a tragedy that made me more aware,” Locksley reveals. “I could see my son’s struggles reflected in the expressions I had previously overlooked. It pains me to realize that throughout my first 20 years as a coach, I was oblivious to the concept of mental health and what it entails. We often joke about someone being ‘crazy,’ which lacks empathy.”

Speaking with YSL News Sports during the Project Play Summit in Baltimore last spring, Locksley shared his journey from being a self-described “old school” coach to someone who recognizes the psychological challenges faced by players.

“No one has to act tough if they’re dealing with depression or anxiety,” he insists.

Each year, about 20% of adolescents and adults in the U.S. experience a mental health issue, according to Timothy Neal, the director of the athletic training program at Concordia University Ann Arbor in Michigan. He discussed this during a National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) media briefing on the mental health challenges faced by Olympic athletes.

“Many athletic trainers at every level confirm that the toughest times for athletes are often due to psychological factors,” Neal noted.

As we enter the busy fall sports season, you too might notice that struggling expression in young athletes. Here are ways for parents and coaches to identify signs of emotional distress in young athletes, and as Locksley emphasizes, “create an environment where mental health is prioritized.”

Mental Health Challenges Are Common Across All Ages and Levels; Addressing the Stigma is Essential.

Neal, who has led writing groups for two NATA consensus statements on psychological issues in secondary school and collegiate athletes, emphasizes that those who identify strongly with athletics are less likely to seek mental health support. This echoes Locksley’s old-school mentality.

“As a football coach, discussing mental health and admitting to not being okay was not a typical locker room conversation,” he explains.

Growing up in Southeast Washington, D.C., the 54-year-old coach remarked that mental health was rarely discussed in his community.

“Comments like, ‘Your aunt had a mental breakdown’ were common, but no one explained what that meant,” he recalled during the Project Play panel. “We need to normalize these discussions. If we can teach blocking, tackling, running, and catching, why can’t we also emphasize the mental growth of our young athletes?”

Mental health discussions have been stigmatized across all sports. The case of Simone Biles and her struggles with “the twisties” underscored the importance of prioritizing mental wellness. The NATA briefing showcased that other Olympic athletes are facing similar issues.

“Inside, I’m elated because this topic is so vital for us,” expressed Clayton Young, an American Olympic marathoner who recently competed in Paris. “While the focus is on performance, mental health is just as crucial.”

Emma Coburn, a three-time American Olympian and bronze medalist from the 2016 Rio Games, discussed the emotional toll of injuring her ankle and missing the trials this year.

“After overcoming an injury last year and finally feeling healthy, not being able to compete was more emotionally challenging than not going to Paris,” she reflected.

Both young athletes and Olympians experience performance anxiety. Locksley addressed this with his players, as did Juliet Barnes, the head athletic trainer for the U.S. women’s soccer team that won gold in Paris. Barnes provides them with support by referring them to mental health resources or recommending mindfulness apps like Calm or Headspace that guide users through meditation and breathing exercises.

In some cases, simply visualizing success or performing a movement hindered by previous injuries can be beneficial for an athlete.

“My wife practices yoga,” Locksley adds. “She’s into meditation and relaxation techniques. Initially, I scoffed at the idea, thinking it wasn’t necessary for football. But I’ve realized it’s even more important because mental strength is crucial.”

Understand the Triggers for Mental Health Issues and Your Relationship with Them

As parents and coaches, it’s important for us to comprehend what our athletes are experiencing, as well as the environment they come from.

Locksley, who was a basketball and football player at Towson State (now Towson University), was the first in his family to earn a college degree.

“The kids from my neighborhood tend to feel immense pressure to excel in the sports I coach, which leads to significant mental anxiety and strain,” Locksley explains. “Many of them are already managing heavy burdens, often coming from single-parent households and serving as the primary earners in their families. They carry a significant amount of unresolved trauma and hardships that, for many like myself, are often confronted for the first time in college amidst a racially diverse setting.”

“I was raised in an almost entirely Black educational environment, and my first experience in a classroom with a white person happened only when I got to college, which added another layer of anxiety.”

Since taking on the role of Maryland’s head football coach in 2019, Locksley has dealt with a team mourning the loss of their teammate Jordan McNair, who tragically died from heatstroke in 2018 after collapsing during practice. This situation arose just under a year after Losing Locksley’s own son.

“It felt like two separate worlds were coming together for healing,” he stated.

At that time, Maryland had only one mental health professional for its roster of 120 players. Recognizing the need for additional support, Locksley discussed hiring more professionals with team physician Yvette Rooks. They now have five full-time mental health staff members available for players, with some attending practices as well.

Every Thursday, Locksley conducts what he refers to as a “State of the Union” meeting for each player, bringing together coaches, educators, mental health specialists, nutritionists, and athletic trainers from all facets of campus life.

“This approach ensures,” he says, “that if a player is facing academic difficulties, our development team can identify the underlying issues—like if a player’s cousin was shot two days prior. We promote open communication about each individual, working as a united front to support our student-athletes.”

Posthumously, it was revealed by The New York Times that Meiko Locksley suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to head injuries.

Despite acknowledging that this diagnosis has made him reconsider the level of physical contact in practice, Mike Locksley has made a clear distinction between CTE and mental health. While concussions can certainly be a contributing factor to mental health issues in young athletes, many other factors exist.

As a parent of a young athlete, you might notice the intense pressure that can build around youth sports events. When the playing area is confined, it can amplify stress. Often, it’s the silence of parents holding back their emotions, whether joy or frustration, that adds to the pressure.

Consider how a child feels under such circumstances, particularly when they’re facing additional challenges.

They may not be performing well (and you’ve mentioned it), or may be experiencing tensions with a coach or teammates. Perhaps your child is facing bullying or hazing. Other stressors listed by the NATA include being cut from a team, academic pressures, parental expectations, and burnout from sports.

These feelings can often be bottled up inside.

Keep a close eye on your child’s behavior for signs of mental health issues.

“Suddenly, a typically cheerful child becomes distant,” Locksley observes. “We do room inspections where my development staff checks in on players in their dorms. It’s concerning when we find a previously great player who is now struggling—evident by a messy room.”

“We’re here to educate. As educators, we recognize that kids will fail and make errors, and it’s our responsibility to guide them in learning from those mistakes for future improvement.”