On Monday, October 7th, the Camden Field Hockey programs all had important games. On a packed schedule, the modified squad faced Holland Patent, while the junior varsity and modified teams met Rome Free Academy. However, they all came together to battle a common opponent that is even more important yet: student-athlete mental health.
Monday night was Morgan’s Message Night at Camden High School. Morgan’s Message is a non-profit organization that seeks to tackle the unique challenges of student-athlete mental health. They amplify stories, provide resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations, and provide a platform for advocacy. It was founded in memory of former Duke University lacrosse student-athlete Morgan Rodgers, who died by suicide in July 2019 after years of mental health difficulties.
Stories like Morgan’s have become far too common, both in and out of sports. The balance of sports, academics, family life, socialization, and pursuing interests can turn out to be a lot for anyone to handle, whether it’s in high school, college, or in the professional world.
These factors affect each person differently, and personal struggles are often exacerbated by societal perception. There can be significant external pressure for a person to present themselves normally, even without a healthy state of mind, and that can stand as a huge barrier to getting needed care, even when it’s readily available. These barriers can get even larger in sports, where internal and external pressure to win or make it to the next level can become all-encompassing.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift to help normalize seeking that support, and Morgan’s Message has been a major part of the movement to empower athletes and teams to make mental health an essential priority in sport worldwide. Coaches, teammates, athletes, psychologists, and many more have been working to change the way conversations about mental health are had, and change the cultural norms that have made seeking proper care a challenge.
The efforts of Camden High School social worker Michelle Mellon, and senior field hockey student-athlete Ryen Lago have taken the energy of that global movement, and brought it to a local level in Camden. The duo have teamed up to form a Morgan’s Message club at CHS to start raising awareness, help to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health, and facilitate healthy peer-driven conversations about it within the Camden High School Community.
Lago is Camden’s first-ever Morgan’s Message Student-Athlete Ambassador. The ambassador program brings together mental health advocates and empowers them to share Morgan’s Message within their communities. Ryen has made it her goal to work towards empowering our athletes to support one another, and ensure that nobody has to struggle alone.
Their first big event was Monday’s trio of field hockey games. They ran an information table for spectators of all ages to learn more about Morgan’s Message. Prior to the game, Lago delivered a short speech to the crowd about the meaning of this program and the impact she hopes to see from it on the CHS community. The evening also included raffles with the help of Olive Grove Gathering Co and Two Broke Besties, who both lent their support to the effort, and food by Dean’s Concessions, with a portion of the proceeds going to fund further Morgan’s Message initiatives. The plan is to continue this important work throughout the year and beyond.
For more information on the organization, visit https://www.morgansmessage.org/
