"Morgan's Message: Shedding Light on Mental Health Struggles for Student-Athletes"
Key Highlights :
Being a student-athlete can bring the highest highs, but the lows that come from pressure, anxiety or injuries can be just as powerful and often, silent. To shed light on this common issue among young people, MN Elite Lacrosse hosted a tournament at Edina High School to bring awareness to ways student-athletes can get help and support. This tournament was focused on "Morgan's Message," a foundation founded in memory of Morgan Rodgers, a lacrosse player at Duke University who died by suicide in 2019 after suffering from a torn ACL.
Karsyn Elliot, a lacrosse player at Benilde-St. Margaret's and college commit, understands the high pressure many student-athletes feel. "I feel like we're very open with each other, so if something is wrong we always tell each other, just to tell someone," said Elliot. "It's okay to not be okay," said Maria Longley Slusser, the tournament director and coach with MN Elite Lacrosse.
Maddie Kaltsas, an MN Elite Lacrosse player, was sidelined by an injury during her college recruitment year. "There were times where I was think, 'oh there's nothing really out there for me or there's people who care but also aren't there,' so just to have this tournament in place to know that people are there for you," said Kaltsas. Now Kaltsas is back on the field and hopes to help others through their mental health journey.
"Morgan's Message" has student ambassadors that host support groups at six different Twin Cities high schools, and they're hoping to grow that reach in the coming years. Anyone can go to these groups for help, you don't have to be a student athlete. To learn more, visit the Morgan's Message website.
Being a student-athlete can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be difficult. It's important to recognize the mental health struggles that can come with the pressure of competing and to know that help is available. Through initiatives like "Morgan's Message," student-athletes can find the support they need to get through difficult times.
