The partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and the Kansas City Royals demonstrates the profound impact that corporate sponsorships can have on addressing societal challenges. Focused on tackling mental health issues among youth athletes, this collaboration launched the Shut Out the Stigma campaign: an innovative initiative designed to create awareness of mental health issues, raise money and provide resources, and foster a healthier environment in youth sports. By emphasizing the pressures athletes face and promoting actionable solutions, the partnership has successfully amplified a critical conversation within the youth sports community and beyond.

‍Creating Awareness

Central to the campaign’s success was a powerful storytelling approach that engaged the community on multiple levels. Shut Out the Stigma leveraged dugout branding and player-worn apparel that spoke to each athlete's relationship to progress and perfection. In addition, local youth athletes spoke about the pressures of sports on their mental health, resulting in the creation of Open Letters—installations at sports complexes showcasing how parent/coach actions can affect children.

Further amplifying its message, the Royals aired compelling PSAs—based on content from the Open Letters initiative—during games, with over 1.65M fans hearing the campaign’s call to action. A behind-the-scenes social feature also shared Open Letter content. Tying all these elements together was the documentary Not Good Enough, which delved into the real-life consequences of unchecked pressure on young athletes and explored actionable solutions, leaving a lasting impression on audiences.

Providing Resources

Beyond awareness, the partnership prioritized tangible support for mental health. A dedicated website served as a hub for campaign content, mental health tools, and resources for parents, coaches, and youth athletes. Innovative fundraising tied to the Royals’ on-field performance resulted in over $120,000 donated to 16 mental health organizations. 

In addition, a powerful curriculum was created from the message of the Not Good Enough film, and it quickly became a critical aspect of the Royals Crown Leagues, providing parents and coaches throughout the area with access to this impactful education. In addition to the youth baseball and softball leagues, info kits were sent to over 160 local youth organizations and school districts. Illustrating the campaign’s scalability and widespread impact, the curriculum was also presented to national organizations, including other MLB teams, garnering over 21,000 branded social engagements from MLB. 

Together, Blue KC and the Kansas City Royals have set a new benchmark for socially responsible sponsorships, proving that partnerships in sports can address pressing community issues while fostering meaningful change.