Senator Pelton, Representative Winter sponsoring Senate Bill 26-060

Rural Kids Need Coaches Who Can See the Signs

By Senator Rod Pelton and Representative Ty Winter

In rural Colorado, Friday night lights are a way of life. In the towns and counties we represent, the local high school game is the heartbeat of the community. Families pack the bleachers, businesses close early, and kids grow up dreaming of wearing their school’s colors.

Sports are more than a pastime out here — they’re how our communities come together, raise their children, and build something worth being proud of.

But behind this proud tradition hides a troubling reality: too many rural kids are struggling with their mental health, and we don’t have nearly enough trained professionals to help them. That’s where Senate Bill 26-060, also known as Alyssa’s Act, comes in.

Access to counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists has always been limited in rural areas. But as school budgets have shrunk and populations declined, the situation has only gotten worse. Children’s Hospital Colorado reported a 26 percent spike in emergency room visits for youth mental health last summer, and the number of kids needing inpatient care jumped more than 55 percent between 2020 and 2024.

This isn’t just a Front Range problem. Rural families are driving hours to get their children care — if they can get it at all. Alyssa’s Act, brought to us in part by Mental Health Colorado’s statewide grassroots network of Coloradans with lived experience, is looking to fill that gap by giving youth sports coaches more tools to help get our kids the help they need.

The bill requires annual mental health training so coaches know what warning signs look like, how to respond appropriately, and when to loop in parents. We’re not asking coaches to become therapists; we’re simply asking them to be informed, prepared, and aware, the same way we already ask them to know CPR in case a player goes down on the field.

In small towns, coaches serve as mentors, role models, and are often the most consistent adult presence in a young person’s life outside of their family. They see these kids every single day, and are often the first to notice when something is off.

Our bill also addresses concussions, which can have a serious impact on kids’ mental health and well-being. Young athletes who sustain a concussion face a 40 percent increased risk of developing a mental health issue compared to their peers.

Coaches need to know that, and parents need to be told. Currently, that communication is inconsistent across the state. This bill makes it the standard everywhere and gives kids more opportunities to get the treatment and support they need.

Targeted, practical education can be delivered efficiently and built into what most programs are already doing. The investment is modest, and the return in terms of kids identified early and crises prevented is significant.

In rural Colorado, we take care of our own. We always have. Our coaches are already showing up for these kids every single day. Let’s make sure they are equipped to show up for their mental health, too.

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