Ryan Day, wife highlight importance of children's mental health

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State Football Head Coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have been busy gearing up for their matchup against Ohio University on Saturday, but on Friday morning, he and his wife, Nina Day, took a break from game planning to highlight the importance of children’s mental health.

“We have an obligation to the state of Ohio to use this platform to help people and make an impact. And hopefully, you know, there's people here today that were listening,” Ryan Day said.

Students at Arts IMPACT Middle School were decked out in their scarlet and gray as they listened to the Days talk about all things mental health. The couple has seen the impact that sports can put on mental health. They have also experienced the long-term effects of losing a family member to suicide. Now, they’re on a mission to show children that they don’t have to suffer in silence.

“This is a group here that goes through a range of emotions and needs to be aware of what’s going on there,” he said.

They introduced students to their Day Time Break program in collaboration with the Kids Mental Health Foundation and dropped off some of the kits. It’s a curriculum for middle school students to equip teachers with lesson plans to boost mental health. After reaching more than 200,000 students, the kits have also expanded to high school.

“I think most kids this age know how to take care of themselves physically, hydrating, getting rest, working out. But a lot of them don't know how to take care of their mental health,” Nina Day said.

According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-19 year olds and the second among 10-14 year olds.

“Kids are not born with these tools. So we have to teach them, we have to normalize it. And we have to be there. We have to be their support system,” said Dr. Ariana Hoet, executive clinical director at the Kids Mental Health Foundation.

The kits are also available online here.