Bryce Young, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, founded a youth mental health awareness foundation called Young 9 Foundation in June of 2024. It initiated with a football camp at Johnson C. University in Charlotte, N.C.
Young 9 Foundation hosts events including galas, sports camps, golf championships and much more. These events help raise money to fund the organization. According to young9foundation.org, the startup collaborated with the Katie Blessing Center, a pediatric behavioral health care facility, to help with a new campaign to launch fundraising and volunteering opportunities for teens to help lessen the shame around mental health.
Jane Close (10) applauds Young’s determination and drive to make the mental health scene more recognized.
“I think that everyone should be made aware of the stigma surrounding mental health. Bryce Young is truly helping the community that may struggle with mental health. An athlete using their fame to bring awareness to important topics is very respectable and honorable,” Close said.
Young is an incredibly practiced quarterback. According to si.com, Young’s pocket presence is in the top 10 in the National Football League. Young was also the first overall NFL draft pick for the Panthers in 2023. Young uses his recognition to guide people through the world of youth mental health care.
Mac Hanna (10) believes in Young’s capability to be a great player for the Panthers and to make a change in the world.
“I think Bryce Young is a very good player. He is still very young, but he shows a lot of talent and potential,” Hanna said. “I think it is very cool and kind how he invests his time into other people’s mental health. This really shows you what kind of person Bryce Young is.”
Today, as society is becoming more open to hearing misunderstood or “taboo” topics, like mental health, Young’s foundation utilizes media platforms to project his ideas. With the help of the Young 9 Foundation and a variety of other organizations and teams, mental health care is being integrated in all aspects of sports, especially football.
Marion Gramling, the defensive line coach at Spartanburg High School, encourages Young’s foundation for all the work it is doing for the mental health community.
“The world is more open about mental health than it ever has been because of social media. If anything, the fact that we are talking about this is proof that his message is getting out, and that’s something,” Gramling said. “You would be surprised how mental health is being prioritized now than how it has been in the past. In no way is it where it should be, but mental health is becoming part of the training program in nearly all levels of football.”
