The girls varsity lacrosse team had a special message to share at its game Tuesday: You are not alone.

This was a dedication game, where the players and coaches highlighted awareness for student-athlete mental health.

 

The message is part of “Morgan’s Message,” a non-profit named for Morgan Rodgers, a high-level athlete who quietly struggled with mental health issues after a devastating injury. Like many student-athletes, Morgan placed so much of her self-worth in her ability as an athlete. She was fierce, driven, committed to all she met and all she did. Yet she kept her mental health struggles to herself, thinking no one would understand.

The girls varsity lacrosse coach Samantha Schwartz heard about the organization during a physical education conference in 2022. As a former athlete, the message of caring for the mental health of student-athletes resonated with her, and as a coach she knew she wanted to bring this to Pine Bush.

 

“This was an important message for our team to embrace as there are many young people, and especially student-athletes, who struggle with pressures associated with their performance and balancing all they have going on in their lives,” said Coach Schwartz. “We hope that starting the conversation will help reduce the stigma around mental health struggles and will encourage a culture of support for all areas of our student-athletes’ health and wellbeing.”

The Pine Bush lacrosse players wore the Morgan’s Message butterfly logo on their shirts Tuesday and they created inspirational posters to share with everyone.

Many of the Pine Bush players have been part of dedication games through their club lacrosse teams, Coach Schwartz said. There is a strong presence within the lacrosse community, as Morgan Rodgers was a lacrosse player at Duke. However, this initiative has spread to several sports at the high school and college level and is well-known in the athletic community.

 

Morgan’s Message was founded July 11, 2020 by her family and close friends exactly one year after Morgan’s death by suicide. They wanted to turn their devastating pain into purpose. The main message of their group is “to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics.”

“We aim to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence and support those who feel alone.”

Our lacrosse team is part of that mission! As Morgan’s Message states: Recovery is possible. Let’s take a shot!

For more information, go to www.morgansmessage.org.