A youth soccer team from the Upper Darby Futbol Club hit the Subaru Park fields in Chester Saturday at halftime for a quick match during a Philadelphia Union game.

When they were finished, the players, all under 12, received a QR code that led them to a website on mental health, writes Aubrey Whelan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The young players will discuss what they learned from the website at their next practice. 

“Already, they were excited about it — talking about anxiety, depression, and bullying. One of the kids on the team mentioned that there were bullies at his school — they related it to their experience immediately,” said Julia Quillen, a club board member.

The website and a series of educational workshops are part of the Philadelphia Union HeadFirst program, a series of soccer-themed clinics addressing youth athlete mental health.

The free program was developed by researchers at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

It was established by the Union Foundation, the team’s charitable arm, to buffer a growing youth mental health crisis.

The goal is to help youth soccer players in the region cope with issues like anxiety and depression.

A spring mental health conference is planned.

Find out more about youth athlete mental health and the Philadelphia Union HeadFirst program in The Philadelphia Inquirer.