Youth in crisis rely on sports and movement to cope

October 28, 2026

New York—Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit that provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support in English and Spanish, released “Sports as a Coping Strategy for Youth in Crisis,” a first-of-its-kind analysis of how young people use sports and movement to cope with crisis, researched and produced with funding support from Nike.

“In our conversations, our volunteer crisis counselors often hear sports and movement come up as something that feels doable and within reach, even in a crisis,” said Tracy Costigan, Ph.D., vice president of Impact Evaluation & Storytelling at Crisis Text Line. “For many young people, going for a run or getting on a team isn’t a replacement for therapy, but it can be a first, accessible step toward feeling okay again and something they can turn to on their own, especially if they don’t have easy access to traditional mental health support.”

Drawing on de-identified crisis conversations from 2022 to 2024, Crisis Text Line’s Research & Impact team identified conversations in which texters discussed sports, exercise, walking or spending time outdoors as a way to cope. Among texters under 18, sports ranked as the third most-mentioned coping resource, ahead of mental health services, behind only social connection and making art.

“At Nike, we know that play and sport can be transformative for youth, helping young people find belonging, connection and a place where they can have fun and show up for themselves and for each other. This is especially important for young people navigating crises or experiencing trauma,” said Vanessa Garcia-Brito, VP and chief impact officer at Nike. “A great coach is critical to that experience, because they can create a safe space where every young person feels seen and represented.”

Nike’s funding of this report is a continuation of their commitment to support the mental health of athletes of all ages.

“Sports as a Coping Strategy for Youth in Crisis” key findings from the report include:

Sports and movement are a top coping resource for youth. 16% of young people mentioned sports, walking or outdoor activity as a way to cope at least once, most often alongside conversations about anxiety, stress, relationships, depression, suicide or self-harm.

Team sports are often mentioned alongside other coping strategies. In 27% of conversations where young people discussed sports, they also referenced social connection; 25% mentioned making art.

Among conversations where young people cited sports as a coping strategy, the most commonly mentioned activities were working out/going to the gym, volleyball, basketball, running and skateboarding.

Young texters who turn to sports are navigating real distress. Among texters under 18, those who mentioned sports discussed anxiety and stress (38.2%), depression (37.3%) and isolation or loneliness (23.6%) more often than the Crisis Text Line average, underscoring how directly tied movement is to managing a crisis in the moment.

While sports are not a substitute for professional mental health support, they are a critically important complement to it, particularly for young people, including youth in rural areas, who are often outside the reach of traditional care.

SOURCE Crisis Text Line