Philadelphia Union Expands Youth Mental Health Program to Local Soccer Clubs

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Union Foundation launched an affiliate program for HEADFIRST, its youth mental health initiative, timed to World Mental Health Day and the program’s third anniversary.

The Oct. 6 announcement opens the initiative, built with Independence Blue Cross, to soccer clubs across the region. Lower Merion Soccer Club, which has ties to the program’s founding, will serve as the first affiliate club.

HEADFIRST was established Oct. 10, 2023, and grew out of a tragedy in the local soccer community. In 2016, a member of Lower Merion Soccer Club connected to the foundation community died by suicide, and an idea for a memorial tournament evolved into a mental health initiative.

The program is built around three components: education, forums and digital toolkits for players, parents and coaches. All content is backed by credentialed experts, including faculty at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Its free resources include mental health toolkits written in language aimed at athletes, education training sessions, an annual Mental Fitness Forum, the Pressure Lab Podcast and a bag tag program. The toolkits address depression, grief, social media use, anxiety and bullying.

An estimated 125,000 youth soccer players are expected to receive bag tags with QR codes linking to the digital toolkits, according to the foundation’s partners at PCOM.

“Mental fitness is absolutely critical to any athlete’s overall well-being, especially youth athletes,” said Gregg Holgate, interim executive director of the foundation, when Independence Blue Cross deepened its support for the program. The foundation says HEADFIRST has already reached more than 6,500 local players, parents and coaches.