Like millions of young athletes nationwide, I have played sports since I was 4 years old. Soccer has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. Sports have taught me to show up, work hard and keep going even when things are not easy. What they didn’t teach me was that brain injuries don’t always show up as physical symptoms.

Today’s concussion conversation focuses heavily on when athletes can return to play. It spends far less time preparing families for what can happen emotionally after a concussion. Parents are taught to watch for headaches and dizziness. Coaches are trained to recognize physical symptoms. Athletes are evaluated before returning to play. But when it comes to mental health, student-athletes are often left to navigate that part of recovery with little awareness and far less support.

For my family, this isn’t an abstract policy debate. My older sister, Alyssa Peterson, died at age 13 during a mental health crisis after experiencing multiple concussions starting in 2017. In the years that followed, I watched my family search for answers as we learned more about the emerging science surrounding concussions and mental health. What we discovered was not certainty about every question, but growing evidence that concussion recovery also requires paying attention to mental health.

That evidence led us to advocate for Alyssa’s Youth Concussion and Mental Health Protection Act () in Colorado, which expanded concussion education to include mental health awareness. The goal was simple: to help ensure coaches and families know what to watch for so young athletes can get support when they need it.

Following speaking at a legislative hearing on Alyssa’s Act, I remember rushing to soccer practice. It felt strange to go from talking with lawmakers about something so personal to worrying about drills and practice like any other day. I looked at my coaches and teammates and wondered if they knew to watch for mental health changes after a concussion. If one of us began struggling emotionally after a head injury, would anyone recognize it?

I watched my mom sit for six hours waiting to testify at a second hearing. I knew I was going to miss soccer practice, which meant I would likely miss playing in my next game. But the effort mattered because families deserve better information about the possible mental health effects of concussions.

Then Alyssa’s Act passed this May. Colorado became the first state to require that mental health be included in concussion education. But the conversation shouldn’t be limited to Colorado.

It’s time we stop treating mental health as an afterthought in concussion recovery. Most families simply don’t know that concussions can also lead to changes in mood, anxiety, depression, irritability and social withdrawal. These changes can easily be dismissed as hormones, stress, or simply being a teenager. But sometimes they deserve much closer attention.

Researchers have been warning about this for years. A published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that, among more than 36,000 adolescents, teens with a history of concussion had more than three times the odds of having a depression diagnosis compared with those without a concussion. A published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that children and adolescents who experience concussions are at increased risk for later mental health difficulties. The on Concussion in Sport emphasizes monitoring athletes for mental health symptoms during recovery.

While researchers debate what repeated heading may mean, we should make sure families understand what to watch for today. Parents should know that changes in mood and behavior can be just as important to recognize as headaches or dizziness. Coaches should understand that athlete well-being includes both physical and mental health. Schools should prepare families for both. Young athletes should know that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

As a high school athlete, I am grateful that conversations about concussion awareness are growing. My hope is that those conversations continue to expand so that mental health is part of the discussion from the beginning, not something families discover only after they are struggling.

Protecting athletes and supporting sports participation are not competing goals. Better information makes sports safer and stronger. 

What I want adults to understand is simple: Brain health and mental health are not separate conversations. We don鈥檛 have to wait for every scientific question to be answered before acting on what we know. Every family deserves to understand that concussion recovery includes paying attention to mental health. My hope is that more families and student-athletes like me understand that concussion recovery isn鈥檛 only about getting back in the game. 

Colorado became the first state to expand concussion education to include mental health awareness. It shouldn’t be the last. 

My sister can’t benefit from what we know today. The next family can. With the World Cup bringing attention to soccer, I hope we also pay attention to what young athletes need after a concussion: support for their mental health, not just a plan to return to play.

State officials, activists and educators have largely shaped public dialogue about Texas鈥� social studies overhaul, but young people added their voices to the conversation Tuesday, calling for instruction that includes diverse perspectives and challenges them to think critically.

The majority-Republican education board began last year to redesign Texas鈥� social studies standards, which outline what students need to learn by the time they graduate. The board plans to finalize the standards this summer, with classroom implementation expected in 2030.

Up to this point, a majority of the board has to center Texas and U.S. history in social studies while deemphasizing world cultures, world history and geography. A has helped guide the process, almost all of whom have no K-12 classroom experience in Texas and several of whom have ties to . Critics say the panel has assumed full control of Texas鈥� social studies rewrite, undermining teacher expertise. of the social studies changes, critics argue, prioritize memorization over critical thinking and simplification over accuracy.

The students who testified before the State Board of Education on Tuesday, the first of four days of meetings in Austin, expressed disappointment in the overhaul 鈥� saying it focuses too heavily on Western civilization at the expense of other cultures, lacks historical perspective of people of color, and prioritizes Christianity over other major world religions.

They want to learn the good, bad and ugly aspects of history. They want to understand why things happened and how they connect to other events. They want the board to give parents and teachers more opportunities for input. They want the board to slow down and take more time to develop the standards. They want to eliminate political agendas. They want to feel seen.

鈥淲e know when something is being left out,鈥� said Caiden Davis, a high school junior from Humble. 鈥淲hat we need from our schools isn鈥檛 a watered-down version of history. We need the truth even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it challenges us.鈥�

Instead of omitting perspectives, said Houston student Zayra Espinoza, Texas should 鈥渇ocus on supporting teachers, investing in students and ensuring classrooms remain spaces for learning, not political control.鈥�

And students need to see their perspectives reflected in social studies, because 鈥渆veryone deserves to be represented,鈥� said sixth-grader Jomeyra Sharif.

鈥淪chools should do more to promote equality, respect different cultures, and making all students feel included,鈥� Sharif said, 鈥渟o they can be proud to be American.鈥�

The board will finalize the standards in June. Meetings have only grown more contentious as the deadline moves closer.

Democrats have sought honest depictions of slavery and the historical contributions of people of color. Republicans want to prioritize American exceptionalism and Christianity, criticizing Muslim Texans who testify in favor of Islam being depicted in lessons accurately and fairly. Teachers feel excluded, calling the process rushed and early proposals inadequate. Many feel political actors have assumed control of a process that should instead focus on educating students.

Students who spoke Tuesday, during a meeting that stretched beyond 12 hours, said they want social studies instruction to include more women, Hispanic and Black perspectives. They want to learn about African kingdoms. They want to know more about the Middle East.

When students are not challenged to do more than just identify and describe historical events, 鈥渢hat means less analyzing, less questioning, and less discussion,鈥� said Gannon Davis Keener, a seventh-grader in Humble.

鈥淚 want to learn history in a way that challenges me to think, not just remember,鈥� Keener said. 鈥淚 respectfully ask that you slow down and allow teachers and parents a greater role in revising these standards to keep the level of thinking high so students can truly learn, understand and enjoy history.鈥�

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