Videos
Watch how these young athletes and sports participants tackle pre-game anxiety, decreased performance and support each other through mental health challenges.
Reaching out is always a good play
Watch as 21-year-old Samantha’s friend learns how important it is to reach out to a friend who’s struggling with mental health concerns.
People on my soccer team have always told me that I’m a good leader.
[Another live-action picture comes to the foreground and shows different players in the locker.]
Coach has taught me how important it is to learn about my teammates’ lives off the field.
Like Samantha.
[A mid shot of Samantha comes to the foreground. She’s standing behind the net and looks sad.]
I grew up playing soccer with her, but her heart doesn't seem to be in the game lately.
Sam sent me a text not too long ago that kinda scared me.
She told me about a bad breakup and how she was struggling in school.
She texted “I’m just done... it feels like it’s never gonna get better... I just wanna give up."
[A live-action picture of another player texting a message comes to the foreground.]
I called Sam right away and told her about a time I was struggling and reached out for support.
She asked me questions about what it was like and admitted that she wanted to get some help too.
[A live-action picture of a coach during a team huddle comes to the foreground.]
Coach always talks to us about mental wellness and the importance of reaching out.
So Sam and I called Coach together and told her what was happening.
[A medium close-up of Samantha, still behind the net, comes to the foreground.]
Sam opened up about how she was feeling, and Coach and her mom helped her get support.
It turns out Sam was thinking about suicide.
[A live-action picture of the team posing in front of the net comes to the foreground.]
Sam is starting to feel a lot more hopeful.
[The camera focuses on Sam. She is smiling.]
I got a text from her this morning.
[A text message sent at 8:42 AM indicates "Thank you for saving my life."]
[A closing message indicates: Reaching out is always a good move
Ask for help when you, or someone you care about, could use support
The CMHA logo appears.
The Ontario logo appears: Paid by the government of Ontario.]
Mental health is the everyday journey of our brain; it includes all our ups and downs. Learning to manage stress in healthy ways keeps our minds and bodies balanced and well.
In sport, we often remind ourselves to “get our head in the game”, which means paying careful attention to what we’re doing. It’s also important to pay careful attention to both our physical and mental health.
You can support the mental wellness of people you care about by:
- Keeping in touch with people who appear to be struggling
- Not judging others
- Talking openly about mental health
Remember: Mental wellness takes practice, just like sports.
I’ve got this
(1:47)
Watch as 12-year-old Russ learns how to manage his pressure and pre-game anxiety with the help of his coach.
Focus on what’s strong
(1:29)
Watch as 17-year-old Jasmine battles to regain her winning mindset when her performance is impacted by an injury.
Reaching out is always a good play
(1:32)
Watch as 21-year-old Samantha’s friend learns how important it is to reach out to a friend who’s struggling with mental health concerns.
