Ball State field hockey helps fight mental health stigma with Morgan’s message

When Ball State field hockey junior Jenna Wyckoff told teammates Maya Guinn and Emma Hilton about Morgan’s message, the two upperclassmen were immediately interested.

The organization, which was co-founded in 2020 by the Virginia-based Rodgers family following the suicide of Morgan Rodgers the previous year, focuses on providing student-athletes with resources to help them with their struggles related to mental health.

Morgan was a lacrosse player at Duke University at the time of her death, prompting the founders to focus Morgan’s message on athletes. Having already been interested in eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health in athletics, Hilton and Guinn were inspired by Wyckoff’s younger sister, Rylie, to become ambassadors for the Morgan message of Ball State field hockey.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health when you play sports,” Hilton said. “In college athletics, this is sometimes overlooked, given that there is a large overlap between performance and mental performance.”

Although Rylie is just a student at Warren Hills High School in New Jersey, she is already representing her school as an ambassador for the Morgan message. Last Sunday, the Cardinals hosted a Morgan’s Message game against Louisville, in which Rylie spoke at halftime.

Ball State lost 4-2 to Louisville, but head coach Caitlin Walsh felt the meaning of the game outweighed the outcome.

“It’s really special and it brings everyone together,” Walsh said. “When we’re sitting on the sidelines, it’s a game, but to have something that we can overall rally together and support is awesome.”

Guinn, a senior, has had a rich journey with mental health. Her biggest struggle in her four seasons as a Division I athlete was juggling her personalities: student, athlete, Maya.

“It took me a long time in college to find a good balance,” Guinn said. “Being able to help young athletes starting college do that through this club seemed like an incredible opportunity.”

To find a slice of “me time” each day, Guinn goes for a run or walk and listens to podcasts hosted by Nick Bare. She also recognized the benefits of activities like journaling and yoga.

What works best for Guinn when it comes to mentally preparing for his time on the field is intentionally setting aside five minutes before each practice or game to let go of any physical concerns. Hilton, a graduate student in sports performance, knows that such techniques have game-time benefits.

“Knowing how to control your emotions or thoughts while you play, and how to use them to your advantage, allows you to get the most out of the (sport) you play,” Hilton said. “…It’s cool to be able to take what I learned in school and apply it to real-life scenarios in my actual athletic career.” »

Walsh, who was a field hockey athlete at Old Dominion before her coaching career, realizes the unique perspective she brings to her role when it comes to understanding her athletes’ struggles, both from a personal and athletic view. Walsh discovered during her tenure as Monarch that field hockey is 95 percent mental, and she incorporated that belief into her coaching philosophy.

With that in mind, Walsh never hesitated when Guinn, Hilton and Wyckoff approached him with the idea of ​​involving Ball State field hockey in Morgan’s message.

“I tell the team all the time, ‘You can get as involved as you want on campus and in the community,’” Walsh said. “They give it their all on the field and in the classroom, so I think it’s very important that they pursue the things that they’re passionate about.”

Guinn said Ball State’s Morgan’s Message team has already seen tangible results in the short time she and Hilton have led the organization. And Morgan’s message isn’t just impacting field hockey players.

“All athletes experience pretty much the same things and have to overcome the same things,” Guinn said. “…We were able to have more one-on-one conversations with people who were able to talk openly about mental health, instead of just keeping it more secretive.” »

The Cardinals will next take the field on Friday, September 27 with a 3 p.m. Mid-American Conference (MAC) game against Miami (OH) at the Briner Sports Complex in Muncie.

Contact Kyle Smedley by email at [email protected] or via X @KyleSmedley_.