By: Kayla Brogan
This school year, for the first time, White Plains High School will be embracing Morgan’s Message on our campus, bringing a renewed focus of mental health awareness.
A Morgan’s Message ambassador said, “We are not perfect, and we don't ever have to be. You're allowed to have feelings, and your feelings are so unbelievably valid. The stigma surrounding mental health in athletes needs to end. We are people just like everyone else.”
These powerful words reflect the heart of Morgan's Message, an initiative aimed at breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly among athletes.
Morgan’s Message was established in memory of Morgan Rodgers, a talented Duke lacrosse player who tragically lost her battle with mental health challenges in 2019, ending her own life. Despite her ability to lighten any mood with her vibrant personality and constantly being there for her friends and family, she struggled internally with mental health due to several injuries in her sophomore year of college and high levels of anxiety. Her family and friends created this initiative to equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics and to normalize mental health conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence and supporting those who feel alone.
Her former teammate at Duke said, “When you are such a high performer at a sport or anything in general, that is where most of your validation and self-worth comes from, therefore you may not know who you are outside of it.”
The symbol of Morgan’s Message is a butterfly. The wings are composed of Morgan’s artwork, and the butterfly’s body is a semicolon affirming mental health and suicide prevention.
The Morgan’s Message education program was born to empower ambassadors—high school and collegiate athletes across the country—to bring this initiative to their schools. Ambassadors are provided with programming materials developed by mental health professionals and merchandise to help host dedication games honoring Morgan’s Message. These dedication games serve as a platform for raising awareness about mental health in the athletic community.
In addition, the program offers a resource called the “Mental Matchup,” a collection of personal stories shared by mental health professionals, athletes, and trainers. These stories offer a glimpse into the struggles, triumphs, and vulnerability that come with managing mental health in the world of sports. By sharing their experiences, these individuals aim to normalize conversations around mental health and encourage others to speak openly about their own challenges.
Often student-athletes have high levels of anxiety throughout the entire school day. They often feel the weight of expectations on and off the field, which is detrimental to mental health. But Morgan’s Message isn’t just for athletes; it’s a reminder for everyone that mental health is as important as physical health and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Recently, two world class athletes, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, began speaking out about their struggles with mental health further empowering young people to seek help when they need it.
This year, I will serve as Morgan’s Message Ambassador at WPHS. This fall, we have plans to host a football dedication game towards Morgan’s Message sometime in October along with a field hockey dedication game. Football players will wear a sticker of the butterfly on the back of their helmets and there will be a table at the top of the field with Morgan's Message bracelets, temporary tattoos, stickers, more information, and ways to get involved.
We are proud to announce that White Plains High School was recently added to the list of schools participating in Westchester, including Brewster, Bronxville, Clarkstown North, Eastchester, Fox Lane, Hackley School, Horace Greeley, Irvington, John Jay, Mahopac, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rye, Scarsdale, School of the Holy Cross, Rye Country Day, Somers, Suffern, and Ursuline.
Mental health awareness has grown in importance nationwide, and Morgan’s Message is at the forefront of that movement within school communities. It is essential that students feel empowered to take care of their mental well-being, and with this initiative, WPHS is showing its commitment.
As this month is National Suicide Prevention Month, it's so important to reach out to the people closest to you and check in with them if you or they are struggling with mental health. As a community, we need to normalize conversations about mental health, and it’s even more important to help those struggling with mental health realize that they matter and that they are not alone.
SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE: 988
MORGAN’S MESSAGE WEBSITE: https://www.morgansmessage.org/dedication-games?itemId=9aw46l531xjpiatm7hbf3mjfof802i-2k763
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