Kweku’s Korner
By Jolisa Castell, LCSW-QS, CCTP, Doctorate Candidate
Jolisa Castell, LCSW-QS, CCTP, Doctorate Candidate
Before I understood the meaning of mental health, I understood the game, the rhythm of the ball, the pressure of a close score, the intensity, the unspoken bond between teammates, coaches, and fans. Basketball was where I could breathe, where I could be. And while I didn’t have the language yet for what I was battling inside, the court gave me space to fight through it.
Years later, as a crisis response mental health professional, I now see just how common those silent struggles are. I meet young people daily who appear overwhelmed, anxious, and unsure of who they are or where they belong. Some are battling peer pressure, suicidal ideation, and others are silently navigating family tension, trauma, or self-esteem issues. What many adults don’t realize is that adolescence is one of the most critical, fragile stages of life. According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral condition.
These years are marked by rapid change, both physically, emotionally, and socially. It’s a time of discovery and growth, but it also comes with intense pressure that can take a toll on a young person’s mental health. During adolescence, the brain is still under construction. The emotional center develops early, but the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for logic, impulse control, and decision-making, doesn’t fully mature until around age 25. That means teens often respond emotionally first because, biologically, their brains are wired that way. These challenges frequently begin in childhood and intensify during the teen years. However, the good news is that adolescence is also the ideal window for developing lifelong emotional skills.
This is why I created Basketball Meets Mental Strength, a camp designed to strengthen not just the body, but also the mind and the youth as a whole. We use basketball as a vehicle, but the ultimate destination is emotional resilience, self-awareness, and healthy coping mechanisms.
We are here to close that gap and plant seeds that will enable youth to begin building resilience. Our camp provides a safe space where youth are seen and heard, and taught to navigate life’s challenges with strength and clarity. Through engaging, active workshops and activities, youth not only learn and enhance their skills in the game, but more importantly, develop life skills that carry over on and off the court. Youth learn tools through engaging conversations, somatic movement, brain health, and breathwork to build techniques and skills in emotional regulation, teamwork, communication, positive self-esteem, and money management. While our current focus has been on basketball, we are gearing up for Flagging Your Emotions this November —a flag football-based clinic designed to build emotional regulation, self-esteem, healthy movement, and teamwork. Different sport, same purpose: helping all young people, not just young athletes, strengthen their minds, hearts, and resilience.
As Frederick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” That’s what we’re doing, one drill, one breath, one breakthrough at a time.
You can catch a glimpse of past camps through photos and videos over on my Instagram (@hopeanchorsthesoul1712) or at www.hopeanchorsthesoul.com
IG; @hopeanchorsthesoul1712
LinkedIn Jolisa Castell