Teaching Young Athletes to Speak Up: Notice, Own It, Act
After Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich collapsed during an outdoor workout and remained hospitalized with severe injuries, teammates challenged parts of the university’s account and the head coach was placed on paid administrative leave, prompting a broader discussion about why athletes may fear speaking up. Valerie Alston explains a problem-independent framework for intervention: noticing when something physical, behavioral, or environmental seems off (without diagnosing), owning responsibility despite barriers like the bystander effect, expert bias, or fear of repercussions, and acting with a simple menu of options—directly acknowledge, distract/interrupt, get help, and keep telling if the first adult doesn’t respond. She emphasizes creating psychologically safe environments, helping athletes distinguish hard from harmful, building a “trusted adult bench,” and provides family discussion questions to practice these skills.
00:00 ASU Heatstroke Fallout
00:51 Why Athletes Stay Silent
01:43 Three Steps to Speak Up
04:00 Notice the Warning Signs
06:17 Own the Responsibility
09:32 Act With Simple Options
11:39 Keep Telling Until Help
13:33 Adults Create Safe Space
16:39 Build a Trusted Bench
18:10 Family Discussion Questions
21:31 Final Takeaways and Next Steps
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