FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for UEFA EURO 2024 and CONMEBOL Copa América 2024, has unveiled its plans with non-profit partner Common Goal to ensure that the soccer industry is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources to understand, prevent, and deal with mental health issues.
From Friday, June 14, to Sunday, July 14, FOX Sports and Common Goal USA are hosting a series of mental health trainings for youth soccer coaches and hundreds of young athletes across the country in select CONMEBOL Copa América 2024 host locations, including Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Los Angeles, Miami, and New Jersey/New York. FOX Sports is a co-founder of Common Goal’s Create the Space initiative, which provides mental health training for professional athletes and community organizations and promotes the idea that prioritizing mental well-being is equally as important as maintaining one’s physical health.
“FOX Sports is proud to use the transformative power of sport to improve the mental health of our youth while creating safe places and a sense of belonging for them both on and off the field,” says Terri Hines, executive vice president of communications for FOX Sports. “It’s an honor to continue working with Common Goal to destigmatize conversations around this topic and ensure that vulnerability is seen as a sign of strength, not weakness.”
The training series is co-designed by Common Goal and E-Motion, a national non-profit, which will lead it along with Atlanta-based non-profit Soccer in the Streets. Details on locations and dates for the training sessions will be available in the coming weeks at Common-Goal.org.
“Our partnership with FOX Sports is a testament to the power of how intentional storytelling can lead to meaningful action,” says Lilli Barrett-O’Keefe, executive director of Common Goal USA. “Nearly a year after the launch of our collective movement alongside the 2023 Women’s World Cup, we are again harnessing the power of sporting events to provide youth in under-resourced communities across the United States with critical skills to better support themselves and their teammates.”
