Dodge the Ball, Not the Discussion of Mental Health

The hockey player-turned-tournament director stood at the center of the court and counted down the seconds and then gave the go-ahead and members of the two teams hustled to the center of the floor to collect balls that came in assorted colors.

In short order, athletes from various UNH teams were firing the balls at each other.

The championship round of the first #EndTheStigma Dodgeball Tournament had begun.

Twenty minutes later the tournament had its inaugural champion: a team of student athletic trainers, who took out a team representing the men's hockey team in the finals.

The tournament field of seven teams and some 60 competitors had accomplished a couple of its early goals: to raise awareness around mental health issues such as depression, eating disorders, anxiety and stress faced by collegiate athletes, as well a little money.

#EndTheStigma is an established symbol, urging an openness to discuss mental health issues.

"Dodge the ball, not the subject," was a UNH tag to the tournament that was put on by the women's hockey team and held in Lundholm Gymnasium on the last day of April.

Heather Kashman, a defenseman who closed out her Wildcat playing career in March, came up with the idea for the tournament.

"When you start talking about mental health, there's definitely a stigma attached to it," Kashman said. "People get nervous and dance around the subject. I think it's important to raise awareness among UNH athletes that it's OK to talk about mental illness and try to end the stigma. And that it's an illness, not a weakness."

Michelle Bronner, senior associate athletic director for compliance and senior women's administrator, is in full agreement.

"I think the dodgeball event was really fantastic," Bronner said. "Transitioning to college is stressful and there are so many things that are happening all at once. It's a really hard thing for everybody to deal with and everyone handles it a little bit differently. To know that it's OK to ask for help is a huge piece. But some people don't even know how to ask for help or where to turn for help. Any time we do an event to raise awareness, that can be huge."

Brian Hainline, the NCAA's chief medical officer, addressed a recent America East meeting that Bronner attended.

"He talked about a lot of research that they're doing within the NCAA, a lot of things that are going on," Bronner said. "He said, 'So much attention has been given to concussions you would think that would be my number one concern, but it's not. My No. 1 concern amongst our young people are mental health issues.'"

The NCAA has published a guide with ideas and suggestions for dealing with the subject.

"Talking about it, I think, is a start," said Bronner, who was especially pleased the event and discussion was initiated by a student. "That's the piece that if we start talking about it and people know that it's OK, they know there's a not a stigma attached to it, they know their coaches won't penalize them for that, they won't be perceived as weak . . . That would, I think, really help people through a lot of tough times."

Student athletes at times deal with issues particular to them, including when they go from being the standout performers in their high schools to being newcomers in a group of other top athletes and seeing limited time, to having to deal with injuries.

Kashman dealt with depression issues while at UNH, sparked by injuries that sidelined her and caused her to miss her sophomore season.

"I started to feel I wasn't part of the team and started to feel I was worthless," Kashman said. "It was very hard to get over."

She did with the help of counseling and therapy and talking with her teammates and others.

Kashman received her undergraduate degree a year ago and is now working on a graduate degree in community development, policy and practice.

"My capstone project was to find a problem in my community, athletics, and try to help alleviate it," Kashman said. "I've seen some of my best friends go to dark places and one of the barriers to them is they don't feel comfortable talking about it. It's a huge problem. I had to do something about it."

Thus the dodgeball tournament.

A key to an athlete getting help is knowing resources – such as the UNH Counseling Center – are available and seeking out those resources, either themselves or with the assistance of friends, coaches, or others.

"I think the message is, if you're feeling a little off and you're not quite sure and you can't seem to get out of that funk, or whatever it is, talk to somebody about it," Bronner said. "Whether it's your coach, whether it's (coordinator of student-athlete development) Cathy Coakley, whether it's me, whether it's the trainer for your team, talk to someone about it. And if you're not comfortable talking to someone in athletics, know that these resources outside athletics are also available. Holding all that in and trying to deal with it on your own can be a really, really hard and lonely place to be."

There are, Bronner stressed, people willing and able to help.

"I always tell the students and I use these terms: You don't have to walk down that road alone," she said. "There's no reason for it. There are a lot of resources here to help you with that. You'll have to do the work. But that doesn't mean people won't help you along the way and encourage you along the way and try to help you get through it so you are having a happier, fuller college experience."

Bronner and Kashman both hope the #EndTheStigma Dodgeball Tournament gets things rolling when it comes to creating awareness of mental health issues and the resources available to face those issues.

"I think this is a first step and it's scratching the surface of what athletes can do," Kashman said. "It's good step in the right direction."

Allen Lessels
@UNHInsider
Allen.Lessels@unh.edu

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