Our Mission

Championing Mental Health for the Next Generation of Athletes

Alston for Athletes (AFA) mission is to advocate for student-athlete mental health awareness through policy change and access to mental health services. We advocate for mental health training for coaches and provide mental health scholarships to underserved student-athletes. Founded by Marcus Alston, AFA grew out of his own experience as a student-athlete — and his determination to change the systems that failed him.

Founder's Story

As Featured In

Our Framework

3 Pillars

Our mission is built on three pillars giving student-athletes the awareness, advocacy, and access they need to succeed in sport, school, and life.

Awareness

Equipping coaches, parents, and student-athletes with the knowledge to recognize and respond to mental health challenges.

Advocacy

Advancing policies and partnerships that improve mental health support for student-athletes.

Access

Expanding access to quality mental health resources and care, especially for underserved student-athletes.

Real Impact

We helped make coach mental-health training the law!

Our advocacy helped pass legislation in Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and Colorado requiring mental-health training for high school and/or college coaches — turning awareness into lasting change.

State laws passed

2019

Founded

100k+

Coaches trained

Advocacy Efforts

How We Help