Mental Athlete

Recent statistics on teen bullying and suicide rates are shocking and dismaying. In 2019, 22% of teens (ages 12-18) report being bullied in school. The CDC reports that "In 2021, 42% of high school students felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities."

They also report that 20.4% of high school teens seriously considered attempting suicide and 9.5% attempted suicide in 2021. The percentage LGBTQ+ teens who seriously considered suicide or attempted suicide jumps to 41% and 19.7%, respectively.

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Our mission at Mental Athlete Apparel is to stop and reverse these trends.

Through our apparel, philanthropy, and community work we aim to change the narratives around being a 'nerd' and other categories that exclude and marginalize youth. We want to ​empower and equip young scholars with the confidence and tools they need to succeed in their academic pursuits. We aim to foster an inclusive community of driven and intellectually curious individuals.​ 

The concept of a 'mental athlete' is at the heart of our mission. We think that there is more to being an athlete than skilled physical activity. The traits needed to be a successful physical athlete--strength, stamina, agility, discipline, and perseverance--are also essential to many intellectual and academic endeavors. Athletes come in all shapes, sizes, and walks of life. For some, the arena is the sports field, but for others it's the classroom, laboratory, courtroom, library, or office. So we ask, What's Your Arena?

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Mental Athlete Apparel will be sponsoring various youth competitions (spelling bees, chess tournaments, memory challenges, and more) in the future. Stay tuned!

15% of net proceeds are donated to trauma responsive teen anti-bullying, anti-violence, and suicide prevention organizations. We donate to the following local organizations:

• The Village Initiative Williamsburg

• 3e Footprints Collaborative

Mental Athlete Apparel sponsors the Faithwalkers "Holy Knights" Chess Club in Williamsburg, VA. The Club draws youth (ages 13-18) from around the Hampton Roads area for a weekly chess club. The Club also hosts regional chess tournaments.