The Cariboo Cougars have spent the week tackling the issue of mental health in sports.
While the ‘Talk Today’ program has just been implemented in the BCHL, coach Trevor Sprague felt players should be educated at every level.
He brought in former junior hockey player and mental health advocate Cooper Holick to have a frank discussion with the young team.
“They need to recognize the signs and that’s why we brought in Cooper to be able to say ‘Hey, this is how I was, playing hockey at the same age you are, and these were some of the symptoms. If you need help, you need to talk to somebody’.”
It’s been an arduous task- and an unfinished one at that- trying to break the stigma around mental illness in everyday life, let alone in athletes.
“Especially in hockey, athletes are seen to be the big tough guys that they are,” explains Holick. “Honestly, that’s probably the furthest thing from the truth. Everyone is entitled to talk about it whether you’re a hockey player or a ballerina.”
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the total number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for
developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million, And only one in five children who need mental health services will receive them.
“I used to be one of those tough northern guys who wanted to tell everybody to suck it up and keep going, but then it hit my family,” explains Sprague. “We’re close with the Holicks, and after seeing Cooper struggle, and seeing some of the struggles in my own family, you start to see those signs everywhere… It’s a huge part of the game, but it’s not easy to talk about mental illness. It’s hard when you don’t understand it.”
While there are often program in place for College and Major Junior-level players, it’s important to keep in mind some major midget players are still only 15 years old.
“For me, it started when I was young. I was still a kid. But as you get older, it changes with the degree of pressure and what you’re feeling anxious about,” adds Holick. “At first I was really in denial and didn’t want to talk about it at all, didn’t want anyone to know what I was feeling. My mom was able to pick up on it right away, she jumped all over it and made sure I had the help I needed.”
The Holick family is now known for their mental health advocacy.
On the other end of the ice, Okanagan Rockets forward Miles Mattila has been an advocate for mental health awareness in sports, particularly hockey, for several years.
‘I think he’s one of the kids that really got the BC Hockey League pushed into it,” says Sprague. “As much as the WHL and other leagues say they’ve done something, it’s still not good enough. Nothing has really been done yet.”
The Cougars will host Mattila and the Okanagan Rockets for Mental Health Awareness night at Kin 1 today at 4:30.
Members of the Holick family will join the teams for a ceremonial puck drop.