The Bolts held an important event for youth at SoFi Stadium earlier this week.
The Chargers hosted their second annual "Beyond the Game" event on Dec. 2, which was held in the Chargers home locker room at the stadium.
The event, which was presented by Tillys, represented a collaborative effort between the Chargers, Tillys, and Tilly's Life Center.
And it was for an ultra important case as it focused on youth mental health awareness for two teams from the Snoop Youth Football League, who are set to compete in the upcoming Snoop Youth Tackle League Super Bowl this Sunday.
It's an event that Chargers Senior Director of Player Engagement Arthur Hightower II says serves a big purpose in helping out the youth, especially in present times.
"It allows them to know the importance of finding someone to be able to talk to, to be able to be vulnerable with, when you are dealing with a lot of challenging times," Hightower said. "I think it's tougher for children growing up today than it was when I was younger.
"You're talking about the advent of social media, there's a lot of different pressures whether it be your image, body image or what you're supposed to have when it comes to wealth," Hightower added. "A lot of children and kids struggle with that so being able to have someone to talk with about that goes a long way."
The event welcomed over 100 athletes from the Snoop Youth Football League for an educational and engaging experience — with some special guests as well.
After the groups arrived to the stadium, began with a panel discussion on adolescent mental wellness that featured Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, along with Hightower, Chris Reed from the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, and Eric Kenneth, a teacher and former student of Tilly's Life Center.
The panel spent time answering questions and diving into the topic of mental health.
For Henley, the topic is one close to him, and he felt that it was important to be on hand and share his stories with the group.
"It was very important. It was important for me, it was important I think to the organization for just being able to include me," Henley said. "It just stems from my past with mental health as far as how football has affected me, both the positive and the negative.
"Just wanted to spread to the kids that no matter what you go through, the love for yourself and the sport should overpower whatever downs you're going through," Henley added. "I just wanted to be able to get that message. It meant a lot to be able to do it with kids that no only are experiencing what I've gone through, but are from the same community as me."
Following the panel, the teams enjoyed dinner together in the locker room. Each participant also received a customized hoodie, and a Herschel backpack filled with giveaways from the Chargers, Tillys, and Tilly's Life Center.
It was unique experience for those on hand, but most importantly a chance to bring to light the importance of mental health.
"Mental health is very important," Hightower said. "It's health, no different than physical health, spiritual health, emotional health. A lot of times, being able to go through your days — whether through work or school — it is important to be in a good mental space to be able to be at your optimal best.
"It's important for us here at the Chargers and it's why we have a full-time clinician, Dr. Herb Martin, that is on staff," Hightower added. "He works in that area to make sure that our players are in a great mental space to be at their best on and off the field."
This event was a continuation of the Chargers and Snoop Youth Football League's commitment to supporting youth football athletes in the Los Angeles area.
By providing educational experiences and resources focused on mental wellness, leadership, and personal growth, the initiative aims to empower young athletes with skills and support that will benefit them both on and off the field.
And as Henley explained, and knows well, it's something that's important to understand when going through the ups and downs of sports.
"I definitely went through a lot of ups and downs, especially with this sport," Henley said. "It comes with a lot of pressure, but it also is balanced with that passion.
"Anything you love, you put your all into, you'll deal with some [things]," Henley added. "Just being able to fight through that is something I wanted to share with the kids."
