Suicide, addiction, overdoses, depression and despair are not supposed to characterize childhood in the United States. Sadly, all the above increasingly burden and kill innocent children. The Colorado Springs Children’s Hospital declared pediatric mental health a state of emergency in October as high numbers of children sought care, many contemplating suicide.

Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and millennials cannot relate to this and might easily overlook the dangers facing their children and grandchildren. It doesn’t resemble the childhood environments they enjoyed.

Resolving this, and restoring safety and joy to childhood, presents complex challenges. China and Mexico are flooding us with deadly drugs. Adults talk openly in front of children about the potential of World War III and a bleak future. The pandemic killed beloved parents and grandparents. It closed schools. Because of inflation, too many children feel the stress of adults who can’t pay bills or afford to fuel the family car.

There are no easy answers, but Colorado Springs organizations are taking a significant step in the right direction.

As reported by The Gazette’s Mary Shinn, the Olympic City USA Task Force announced this week it raised nearly $400,000 to waive registration fees for students in preschool through fourth grade to play soccer, T-ball, baseball and softball. Registration for fall soccer begins Monday, and the program will pay fees for the first 550 registrants.

The program will prioritize practice locations in the central and southeast regions of the city, where a disproportionately high percentage of parents cannot afford a $78 fee.

We can and must help children work through depression, despair and other mental health struggles. We must learn to identify signs of substance abuse and suicidal ideation. We must learn to respond in safe and helpful ways. We have a lot of work to do to restore innocence, safety and wonderment to childhood.

Sports activities fall short of a panacea but getting more children outside and active will help them improve their physical health – a component of good mental health. In part because of the childhood mental health crisis, youth obesity and diabetes are rising. Physical activity helps avoid and address both conditions.

“Sports specifically have shown to lower stress, to lower anxiety and depression, to increase self-esteem and confidence,” said Greg Raymond, southern region president for Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“It leads to less substance abuse and other risky behaviors and even increased life satisfaction.”

Mayor John Suthers told The Gazette the program, which began in 2021, quickly tripled registration in youth team athletics. Donors include the Daniels Fund, Dakota Foundation, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Gazette Charities Foundation, Comcast, Boeing, the Schuck Foundation and Chapman Foundation. The program has sufficient funding to pay the fees through 2026.

Parents and guardians, take advantage of this program and get the children active. Doing so has never been more important.

For most Americans, these are challenging times. Regardless of the stresses posed by foreign wars, inflation, crime and disease, childhood should remain the best of times. That requires good overall health, which fee-free athletics helps them achieve.

Colorado Springs Gazette editorial board