Brand Squad and Active Minds collaborated to bring the discussion of athlete mental health to the table.
The two organizations partnered to bring OSU athletes together to speak about their struggles with mental health. The athletes were KT Hylton, Marlie Armatta and Luke Surber.
Hylton spoke about his struggles and suggestions to others who are struggling. Getting a pet or gaining a new hobby can help when trying to cope with mental health struggles, Hylton said.
OSU is his fifth school to play football at. Now, Hylton said OSU feels like home, especially after his first meeting with the coaching staff. They assured him they had mental health resources for their athletes.
Armatta shared her cheerleading journey as she recovered from a season-ending injury, college try-out rejections and how to bounce back. After tearing her ACL, Armatta struggled mentally with how to identify herself without cheer. The injury gave her the opportunity to see life without cheer, which put life in a new perspective.
Surber shared how his wrestling performance weighed heavily on his mental health.
With some losses under his belt, Surber struggled with mental blocks and had trouble believing in himself. The solution to his problem was to see a sports psychologist. Surber said everyone should get help in any form they can. Talking to friends or meditating can help with mental health, he said.
The three athletes answered questions from students who attended the lecture. Their answers about how to handle mental health struggles included scheduling yourself to accomplish goals and taking baby steps to recovery.
Erin Vierra, a lecture attendee, said she feels as if she sees mental health differently after the lecture.
“It impacted my views in a more positive way,” Vierra said. “I was able to connect with them on a more personal level. Our college athletes may be bigger than life, but they are still people.”
Logan Lieder and Brianna Hall planned the lecture with the hopes of prioritizing and bringing awareness to mental health. Both are involved in Active Minds and Lieder is involved in Brand Squad.
Hall said mental health awareness could be helped if professors would talk about OSU’s resources.
“We could just talk about the resources we have on campus,” Hall said.