LA Galaxy Host “Global View on Mental Health” With LA Galaxy’s Maya Yoshida, Miguel Berry and Alumnus Cobi Jones

Event Held in Partnership with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Dignity Health, Purina and LA Galaxy Foundation

In sports, an athlete’s ability to maintain mental focus is what leads to their performance. However, data has shown that there is a high rate of mental health stigma among student athletes.

To help break down these barriers, on May 21, 2024, AEG’s LA Galaxy and LA Galaxy Foundation hosted a panel session “A Global View on Mental Health,” that featured LA Galaxy defender Maya Yoshida and forward Miguel Berry and was moderated by LA Galaxy alumnus Cobi Jones in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The session was presented by Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Dignity Health, and Purina and attended by over 140 youth from the LA Galaxy Academy and the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams from Carson High School.

It was designed to help raise awareness among high school soccer athletes about the importance of talking about mental health and how to prepare oneself mentally as an athlete and shared strategies about mental wellness and how to employ positive coping mechanisms.

The event was part of the LA Galaxy’s ongoing commitment to promoting mental health awareness and marked the third annual Mental Health Awareness Month event organized by the club.

“Our aim with ‘A Global View on Mental Health’ was to engage and educate a diverse audience of high school soccer athletes to better understanding about mental health issues and reinforce that it is ok for them to speak about how they are feeling,” said Mariah Rodriguez, Community Relations & LA Galaxy Foundation Specialist. “We are proud to have collaborated with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Dignity Health, and Purina on this event which underscored why it is so important to foster conversations around student mental health and promote their overall well-being.”

The mission of the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation is to advance the game of soccer and use it as a vehicle for positive change throughout Southern California communities. The organization has three main pillars that serve as the core of their granting and programming efforts: improving access to youth sports and health + wellness resources, while serving as champions for inclusion in their communities. To learn more about the LA Galaxy Foundation please click here.