The Crisis No One Talks About
From a young age, boys are taught a narrow and often damaging definition of what it means to be a man.
A Narrow Definition of Manhood
From an early age, boys are taught a rigid and often harmful definition of what it means to be a man: Be tough. Don’t cry. Don’t ask for help. Never show weakness. These messages are everywhere—at home, in school, in the media, and especially in sports.
Nowhere is this more visible than in locker rooms and on the field. Sports, which should be spaces for joy, self-discovery, and connection, often become arenas of hypermasculinity, emotional suppression, and pressure to perform. The unspoken rule is clear: the more emotion you show, the less of a man you are.
"The more emotion you show, the less of a man you are."
The unspoken rule in sports
But Here’s What We Know
Most boys want to talk.
Most boys want to connect.
Most boys want to be seen, heard, and understood.
The issue isn’t a lack of desire. It’s a lack of safe, affirming spaces that show boys it’s not only okay to feel, it’s healthy.
A Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
Mental health struggles are rising rapidly among boys and young men. Rates of anxiety, depression, body image issues, and suicidal ideation continue to climb.
And yet, young men are among the least likely to reach out for help or talk about how they’re feeling. Because they’ve been taught that talking about emotions is shameful. That vulnerability is weakness. That being a man means staying silent, staying strong, and staying in control.