Sports coaches in Katonah-Lewisboro UFSD trained to help players' mental focus, fitness |
On Board Online • December 15, 2025
By Amanda Bergen
KLSD Chief Communications Officer
It's eight o'clock at night, and high school junior Kait Condon isn't scrolling social media. Instead, she's using an app on her phone to reflect on her day. A three-sport athlete at John Jay High School, Condon is developing new habits encouraged by a mental fitness program for student-athletes.
In the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District (Westchester County), coaches in almost half of the high school sports have been trained since spring 2025 to facilitate team check-ins, providing an opportunity for players to share their challenges and build team bonds.
"Nobody is embarrassed to share their feelings," Condon said. "We know we're not alone and can speak about things like this and make mental health part of a normal conversation."
Often, Condon and her teammates share feelings of stress as they keep up with the rigors of academics, sports and social life.
"It's been a vital part of my junior year," Condon said. "I use it every day, not just on the field. It's taught me to think before I speak and assess each situation to see how I can make it work better for me."
The school district has long encouraged coaches to focus on athletes' holistic well-being. Nevertheless, Athletic Director Christian McCarthy felt something was missing.
Through a former colleague, Superintendent Ray Blanch had heard about a Swedish company called PlayWellMinds, which was founded in 2024. It makes a gamified app, called PlayWell7, which prompts students to do reflective activities such as breathing exercises and visualizing successful responses to previous mistakes.
According to the company's website, using the app can "build a teen's mental strength, improve their focus, increase self-awareness and ultimately build self-esteem."
A key part of the approach recommended by PlayWellMinds involves coaches leading team reflection sessions. They are trained to ask questions such as, "What were the emotions and thoughts going through your head?" and "What can you tell yourself next time to shift out of that pattern?"
The girls lacrosse team began using the app in the spring of 2025, making John Jay High School the first in the country to implement the program. Early results are promising. After participating during the season, 86% of the team rated the experience as "very good" or "good," and 72% said it had a positive impact on their mental approach.
The core idea is to ensure that student-athletes are as strong mentally as they are physically, according to Johan Fallby, a sports psychologist at PlayWellMinds. "It takes repetition over time to build these skills," he said. "You don't go to the gym once and only after you're injured; you train consistently to stay strong. This is training for emotional resilience."
Superintendent Blanch says the program has been so successful that the district is expanding to more teams each season and eventually hopes to extend the opportunity beyond the athletic program.
"It is part of our mission to nurture students' well-being," said Dr. Blanch. "Poor mental health is an epidemic among teenagers, and we need to do everything we can to support our students. They can't learn and perform well if they are struggling inside."