Selma High senior Adam Soria is using his platform as a starting quarterback to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health, one game at a time.
The ritual is a familiar one at Selma High School: players lift their jerseys during warm-ups, revealing equipment adorned with tributes to loved ones or expressions of faith. But this past month, 17-year-old starting quarterback Adam Soria added a different kind of message to his gear.
Painted in bold white letters atop a purple and teal ribbon on his lower back pad were three words: “Ask 4 Help.” Below it sat a small hashtag: #SuicidePrevention. For Soria. a graduating senior who has navigated his own path through mental health struggles. the message is a direct challenge to the silence that often surrounds teenage distress.
“I know it was hard for me,” Soria said. “There’s a lot of people going through their own battles, dealing with them on their own.”
The weight Soria describes is common for students across California, where anxiety, depression, and family trauma are increasingly prevalent. A recent survey by Blue Shield of California and Children Now found that many youths experiencing these challenges remain held back by embarrassment. For a student athlete. Soria’s choice to publicly display his message acts as a vital bridge. according to Cesar Gonzalez. a district mental health clinician. The hope. Gonzalez noted. is for student athletes to recognize that it is acceptable to struggle and that support is within reach.
Soria’s own journey has been defined by the pressure to perform. As a quarterback. he feels the sting of every missed handoff or incomplete pass. carrying the fear of letting his teammates or school down. Beyond the stadium. he balances the expectations of a high GPA and the goal of playing college football with personal pressures. including his parents’ separation and his role as the oldest of three siblings. These demands once pushed him toward feelings of deep loneliness and, eventually, thoughts of suicide. During his sophomore year at Reedley High in the Kings Canyon Unified School District. a school psychologist named Nikkie Milton helped him find the courage to begin “spilling his feelings.”.
Since moving to Selma High as a junior, Soria has continued working with mental health professionals. When September—Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—arrived. he collaborated with art teacher and cornerback coach Khalil Harshaw to paint his gear. His goal is to dismantle the “man up” culture that often discourages young men from seeking help. a stereotype he intends to challenge professionally by entering the mental health field himself.
Inside Selma Unified, the culture is shifting alongside him. The district, which employs 14 clinicians and social workers, has spent the last decade building a support infrastructure. This includes a therapy dog program established in 2016. where “co-therapists” assist in individual sessions and crisis response. alongside mentorship programs and social-emotional support groups for newcomer students. For the past five years, the district has provided Signs of Suicide training for all freshmen and their parents. The results are measurable: while the district’s mental health team handled only 32 referrals during its 2014-15 inaugural year. that number climbed to 1. 553 for the 2024-25 school year.
Yet, obstacles remain. Gonzalez points to an “old-school mindset” and cultural or religious barriers that lead some parents to avoid acknowledging mental health issues, preferring the mantra of “sucking it up.”
For Soria, the response to his message has been tangible. Students and teachers began requesting ribbons and bracelets after his first game wearing the pad. and his teammates—many quietly navigating their own struggles—have offered their support. forging bonds that extend well beyond the field. Even with September in the rearview mirror. Soria intends to keep the message on his gear for the remainder of the year.
“That loneliness—that feeling—went away,” Soria said, describing the support he has received from his family and peers. By choosing to speak out. he has turned a personal battle into a community conversation. proving that for a teenager in a high-pressure world. the bravest play isn’t always on the field.
Adam Soria Selma High School mental health student athletes suicide prevention teen mental health California schools mental health awareness