Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media 

California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, left, attended the May 29 event in Sacramento celebrating the fourth annual Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind Day. Hosted at Street Soccer USA in partnership with her statewide initiative, California Love, California Strong, the event aimed to combat loneliness by fostering community connection through movement, play, and mental health awareness. Pictured with Siebel Newsom are Street Soccer USA Executive Director Lisa Wrightsman, center, and Cassandra Walker Pye, president of Lucas Public Affairs. CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

To close out Mental Health Awareness Month, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom hosted hundreds of families, youth athletes, coaches, educators, and mental health advocates at the Street Soccer USA facility in downtown Sacramento on May 29 for the fourth annual “Movement and Mindfulness: Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind Day” — a statewide event promoting physical activity, social connection, and emotional well-being. 

The event combined physical and mental wellness activities, including soccer matches, boxing, Afro yoga, dance, meditation, and mindfulness exercises. 

Similar celebrations were held across California, with nine events spanning from Grass Valley to the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The gathering was designed to “set a new standard for youth sports and mental wellness,” Siebel Newsom said. 

Participants take part in a stretching activity during the Movement and Mindfulness: Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind Day event in Sacramento. The event featured street soccer, dance, yoga, boxing, and other outdoor activities designed to promote physical and mental well-being. CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

“We are combining two statewide initiatives to celebrate a day of connecting, play, joy, and community,” Siebel Newsom shared with participants. “Together, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being and mental well-being partners with California Love, California Strong, are rooted in a shared belief that movement and mindfulness within the community make us stronger.” 

The three-hour event was co-hosted by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being, and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 

The event was also held in collaboration with California Love, California Strong, a statewide initiative launched by Siebel Newsom to combat loneliness and foster social connection. Activities included a panel discussion hosted by the Positive Coaching Alliance that emphasized regular exercise as an essential component of mental health rather than a luxury. 

The initiative’s core mission is to address rising levels of loneliness and youth isolation by promoting physical movement, community engagement, and emotional wellness. 

“Movement and mindfulness are powerful tools for supporting mental well-being, especially for young people navigating the pressures of life in today’s digital era,” Siebel Newsom said. 

Launched in 2023, the campaign highlights the growing body of research linking physical activity to improved mental health outcomes. It encourages Californians of all ages to incorporate movement, sports, and outdoor recreation into their daily routines as a way to manage stress and anxiety. 

According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), approximately 9.4% of California youth experience serious psychological distress, while many more report ongoing mental health challenges. 

PPIC also reported in January 2026 that as many as 17.2% of adolescents experience chronic loneliness, a condition increasingly linked to anxiety, depression, and poor health outcomes. 

The statewide event underscored the role that movement and mindfulness can play in improving mental well-being while creating opportunities for community connection. 

Among those participating was Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being and a longtime advocate for youth health, fitness, and education. 

Yamaguchi told California Black Media that recreational sports are critical because they promote holistic development while providing children with a low-pressure environment to build physical fitness, learn teamwork, and develop emotional resilience. 

“It’s all about celebrating movement and the good it can do, not just physically, but mentally as well,” Yamaguchi said. “So, move your body (and) calm your mind. That’s the message we’re trying to get to as many Californians as we can.” 

Renata Simril, president and CEO of the LA84 Foundation and founder of the Play Equity Fund, said using sports to drive positive youth development, childhood health, and socio-emotional well-being “is a public good worthy of investment.” 

“We can carry way too much stress, anxiety, isolation, and disconnection in our bodies,” said Simril, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council. “The answers usually begin earlier. The most powerful tools we have for connection, well-being, and healing have been hiding in plain sight all along: A soccer ball, playground, dance floor, yoga, a park, a place to move and a place to belong.” 

Participants take part in a stretching activity during the Movement and Mindfulness: Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind Day event in Sacramento. The event featured street soccer, dance, yoga, boxing, and other outdoor activities designed to promote physical and mental well-being. CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

California is home to nearly 728,000 Black children under age 18, representing about 8% of the state’s 9 million children, according to a 2024 report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. 

PPIC estimates that between 218,000 and 291,000 Black children in California may experience severe loneliness or significant mental health challenges. Researchers attribute those disparities to systemic barriers that include generational poverty, neighborhood instability, and the lingering effects of historical racism. 

Simril spoke about the importance of supporting youth in Black and Brown communities and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, where access to culturally responsive care is often limited, and mental health disparities remain pronounced. 

She said one solution is “play equity,” the belief that every child deserves access to sports and physical activity regardless of race, gender, ZIP code, or socioeconomic status. 

“Play equity is about recognizing play inequity. But play equity is also about elevating the value of play itself,” Simril said. “Because when we talk about play equity, what we are really talking about is whether all children have equal access to confidence, belonging, resilience, physical health and mental well-being.” 

Simril helped champion Assembly Bill 749, the Youth Sports for All Act, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in October 2025. 

Authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), AB 749 establishes a framework for evaluating California’s youth sports landscape and expanding public access to athletic opportunities. 

“If we believe that movement strengthens mental health that reduces isolation, and it helps young people thrive, then it shouldn’t be extracurricular. It’s a central infrastructure for healthy communities,” Simril said.