Mental Health Awareness Week Begins with Conference Summit
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference's twelve institutions are set to Take MACtionand break the stigma when it comes to mental health.
From February 11thto the 15th, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) on each campus has developed programing for Mental Health Awareness Week.
This is the fifth year the conference’s member institutions have taken a week to bring education and awareness of mental health among student athletes and destigmatize the culture around a holistic well-being.
For 2019, the MAC Council of Student-Athletes (CoSA) designated ‘Acceptance and Ownership’ as the week’s theme with a focus on self-harm and suicide prevention.
During the week, student-athletes will be taking to social media to share personal stories, facts, videos and open discussions about mental health.
Students at Central Michigan will be touring local elementary schools to read Claire Messer’s Grumpy Pants. The Chippewas have also partnered with the Counseling Center on campus to offer adult coloring and the Mount of Pleasant, a positive message board.
Western Michigan is also setting up a Wall of Kindness for the community to interact with before their home contests this week.
Kent State gymnast Nash Manitkul-Davis said, “It is important to hit the whole student body rather than focus on just SAs because even though it only takes one person to start a movement, it takes a team and community to fully build and structure a positive and open atmosphere for those to feel comfortable to open up about their struggles.”
Before Toledo women’s basketball on Wednesday, the Rockets are hosting a Mental Health Q&A Panel with Truman Claytor, Ericka Lavender and Brian Jones.
Akron and Miami have tabbed sport psychologists to speak on their campuses. Zac Bruback will be visiting Akron’s SAAC to discuss what is available on campus, while Dr. Moles will be visiting athletes and coaches at Miami for a Q&A.
Student-athletes at Buffalo are invited to participate in a Stress Relief Workshop for quick techniques to feel calmer. The Bulls also invited former track & field student-athlete Asher Beasley to campus to share her struggles with various aspects of mental health.
“Our programming aims to advertise an initiative we began this year and provide all participants with an environment in which they can learn new and positive mental health techniques”, said Matt Mercer, a track & field student-athlete at UB.
“Our initiative is entitled ‘You Are Enough’ and seeks to empower all students to acknowledge, despite any current situations, that they are enough. Everyone experiences pain in their own way, and everyone is well equipped to handle that pain. We want all our students to acknowledge the fact that they are strong enough, smart enough, courageous enough, and as a whole, they are enough to make it through anything they encounter.”
Ohio is bringing Olympian Amy Gamble to Athens to speak about her experiences.
Across all campuses, student-athletes will be tabling in student unions and athletic facilities handing out stress balls, life savers, exchanging words of encouragement and opening discussion about mental health.
