Five Women's Lacrosse Games Scheduled for April 12.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – On Wednesday, April 12, Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse student-athletes will be taking a shot at mental health by participating in a conference-wide Morgan's Message Day, in support of the organization which advocates for the mental health of student-athletes.
All NE10 women's lacrosse programs competing that day will participate in the event. The full schedule is below:
Southern New Hampshire at American International – 4:00 P.M.
Assumption at Franklin Pierce – 4:00 P.M.
Le Moyne at Saint Anselm – 4:00 P.M.
Saint Rose at Adelphi – 5:00 P.M.
Saint Michael's at Bentley – 7:00 P.M.
Additionally, Adelphi's men's lacrosse team, which plays immediately following the women's game, will also participate.
"Morgan's Message is a great organization aiding to help end the stigma surrounding mental health of student-athletes all across various age groups," said Lauren Smithers, a senior at AIC and one of the school's Morgan's Message Ambassadors. "There is a perception that if someone is seeking help, they are weak; however, that is not the case. There should be an emphasis on mental health as much that there is on our physical health. It's okay to not be okay, you are not alone and there is an entire community that is ready to support one another. Let's continue to end the stigma!"
Morgan's Message was created by the family and former teammates of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke University lacrosse student-athlete who died tragically in July 2019 after battling mental health struggles, with the mission of eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health, normalizing conversations about mental health, and to ensure that mental health is treated equally to physical health for all student-athletes.
"Morgan's Message is important because mental health affects all athletes no matter the level of talent," said Adelphi senior Meghan Pickel. "It has allowed for me and the student-athlete community to take a step back from being competitive and become aware of our mental battles, giving us an opportunity to speak up and find commonality among each other."
The goal of the day is to facilitate and encourage conversations around mental health, in hopes of breaking the stigmas surrounding those conversations and ultimately saving lives. According to a study by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, while nine in 10 Americans say they would do something if they were worried about someone's mental health, only a third say they are willing to talk about it with others.
Increasing the latter number is the challenge in which student-athletes hope to succeed.
"Saint Anselm women's lacrosse is excited and honored to play a game we love while supporting an amazing cause," said Saint Anselm co-captains senior Taylor Cobain and junior Erin Doyle. "As a team, we believe in the importance of prioritizing our mental health and work as advocates to eliminate the stigma pertaining to student-athletes. Mental health is a process and we strive to spread awareness through opening the conversation and empowering one another. Mental health is health."
For more information about Morgan's Message, visit their website at www.morgansmessage.org.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.