SACRAMENTO –  Jailen Daniel-Dalton, a senior men's basketball student-athlete at San Francisco State University, have been selected as the October 2024 recipients of the CalHOPE Courage Award.

The award, presented monthly since February 2022, honors student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome the stress, anxiety, and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity. In addition to the recognition, a donation will be made on behalf of all honorees to support on-campus mental health services.

Jailen Daniel-Dalton, a senior forward for San Francisco State University's basketball team, faced one of the most pivotal moments in his life when he learned in September 2023 that his girlfriend was pregnant. 
 
Balancing the demands of college athletics was already a full-time job, but the sudden responsibility of impending fatherhood intensified the pressure. He was still recovering from an injury and juggling the long commute between campus and his girlfriend's home in Mountain View. He admits it was hard focusing on basketball while feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainty of his personal life.
 
The mental toll of managing these new responsibilities weighed heavily on him. His daily schedule was packed with early morning workouts, study hall sessions, and travel back and forth between school and home. His scholarship hinged on maintaining his GPA, and the stakes felt impossibly high. He knew everything had to be handled or his studies, basketball, and personal life would fall apart.
 
Drawing on lessons from his time at Gavilan Community College, Jailen knew the importance of prioritizing his mental health. The challenges he faced navigating this new chapter forced him to rely on the coping strategies he developed. Although he wasn't 100 percent prepared, he had enough tools to help navigate the tough road ahead. "Through it all, I am proud that my resilience and commitment to both my family and team has defined my journey and made me stronger both on and off the court.
 
"My challenges have been a test of mental strength and resilience," said Jailen. "Balancing basketball, school, and becoming a father pushed me in ways I never expected. There were moments I felt overwhelmed, but I relied heavily on the support of my family, teammates, and coaches. They helped me stay grounded and focused. Without them, I don't know how I would have made it. I've learned that you don't have to face challenges alone; you can lean on those around you."
 
Despite this challenge, the 6-foot-6-inch forward excelled in his first season with the Gators, earning All-California Collegiate Athletic Association second team honors. He led the team in both scoring (11.8 points per game) and rebounding (6.6 per game) and was second in both assists (50) and blocked shots (19).  Unfortunately, due to a shoulder injury, Jailen will miss the 2024-25 season.
 
About the CalHOPE Courage Award
The monthly CalHOPE Courage Award is presented by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press; CalHOPE, a Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) crisis counseling and support resource; and the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being.
 
"CalHOPE is honored to continue recognizing student-athletes statewide who have overcome challenges to perform their best as both scholars and athletes," said Autumn Boylan, Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships at DHCS, which oversees CalHOPE. "CalHOPE's purpose is to build community resilience and help people recover from disasters and public health emergencies through free outreach, crisis counseling, and support services. We hope that by sharing these stories of courage, all will be inspired."
 
At the end of the school year, two of the student-athletes will be selected as the CalHOPE Courage Award winners. The previous winners were: 2024 – Cameron Nelsen (volleyball, Antelope Valley College) and Myron "MJ" Amey (basketball, San Jose State); 2023 - Anysa and Amaya Gray (soccer, U.C. Berkeley) and Nigel Wilson (basketball, Pasadena City College); and 2022 - Julia Schwayder (lacrosse, Occidental College) and Breyon Jackson (basketball, San Francisco State). 
 
Stories about all CalHOPE Courage Award honorees since 2022 are available at CalHOPECourageAward.org and via social media (X & Instagram) at @CalHOPE_Courage.
 
Sports information directors at all colleges and universities in California are encouraged to nominate deserving intercollegiate student-athletes at CalHOPECourageAward.org. The honorees are selected by a panel of writers, editors, The Associated Press, and the College Sports Communicators.
 
ABOUT CalHOPE
CalHOPE is a multi-level campaign run by DHCS to connect people with vital mental health and wellness resources and information to help them navigate during times of crisis. CalHOPE offers critical behavioral health crisis counseling programs and uses a public health approach that is focused on strength-based strategies for building resiliency and connecting people to the support they need. CalHOPE partners with the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being to promote the CalHOPE Courage Award. CalHOPE resources may be accessed by calling the program's warm line at (833) 317-HOPE (4673), accessing the live chat feature, or visiting www.calhope.org.
 
College Sports Communicators: The College Sports Communicators is a 3,600-plus member national organization, comprised of the athletic communications, media relations, digital, and creative professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1957, the organization is the second oldest management association in intercollegiate athletics. The organization's signature program is the Academic All-America program, honoring thousands of outstanding scholar-athletes annually. To learn more, visit collegesportscommunicators.com.
 
The Associated Press (AP): The AP is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, The AP is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from The AP. For more information, visit www.ap.org.
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Media Contact: Doug Drotman (631-462-1198 or doug@drotman-pr.com)