A Riverhead High School student athlete is hoping to make waves by helping to fight the stigma associated with mental health.

Deanna North of Riverhead, an 18-year old high school senior and captain of the varsity softball team, will be attending various Riverhead High School sports games in the next few months to share her struggles with mental health and push the message that it’s okay to get help. 

“Mental health is an invisible thing. We all struggle with it at some point in our life,” North said. “And a lot of athletes suffer in silence, which is what I found myself to do.”

“I figured if I could share my story and touch at least one athlete in the world, to help them change their mindset and better themselves, then I’ve done everything I can do,” she said.

Her sophomore and junior years of high school were some of the “hardest years” in her life, as she came back into sports after knee surgery, she said.

“I didn’t feel like an athlete. I didn’t really know how to handle all the change in the stress of school, working and trying to go through the [college] recruiting process all at the same time,” North said. “It all felt like a giant blur and I didn’t know who I was or where I was anymore, and my mental health really suffered. I didn’t want to go to practice. I didn’t even want to play anymore.” 

She was scrolling through Instagram one day when she came across a post by the organization Hope for Athletes. The organization was founded by a counselor and former student athlete with the goal of breaking the stigma of mental health in sports, and allows athletes and others to share the story of their mental health struggles through social media.

“I’ve always seen these mental health accounts and stuff like this, but this one really stuck with me because it really made me realize that other athletes go through the same thing,” North said. “I’m not the only one. I felt like I was the only one who felt like this.”

Last month, North shared her story with the world in an Instagram post with Hope for Athletes. Her story was published under the title “Not a Superhero.” 

“I want every athlete to know it is normal to struggle, we are not superheroes,” North wrote in her post. “Sometimes, we can’t do it all and in the end we are still human. It is okay to make mistakes, because that is when you give yourself the most room to grow.”

To bring awareness to those struggling with mental health, athletes will wear either green shoelaces or green wristbands during the games North is set to speak at. The softball team will be wearing custom green jerseys and green socks at their game, which is on May 9, during Mental Health Awareness Month. The dates for the games are:

• Varsity boys tennis, April 9 at 4:30 p.m.
• Varsity girls lacrosse, April 11 at 4 p.m.
• Varsity boys lacrosse, April 30 at 5:15 p.m.
• Unified Basketball, May 1 at 5 p.m.
• Varsity boys baseball, May 8 at 4:15 p.m.
• Varsity girls softball, May 9 at 4:30 p.m.

North will be selling bracelets and Hope for Athletes merchandise at the games to raise money for Hope for Athletes.

“We never know who’s going through what,” North said. “And if I can go to each game and speak on how I struggled and how mental health is such an important thing that we need to focus on, especially as athletes, I’m hoping it could help other athletes in my district and in the other districts I’ll be speaking in front of to realize that they’re not alone and that getting help is okay, and it’s not a weakness to have issues with your mental health.”

Brian Sacks, the school district’s director of health, physical education and athletics, said the initiative is necessary. “Mental health is a huge aspect of all of our students, and especially our student athletes,” he said.

“I believe this is her passion,” Sacks said of North. “She came to me asking if we can do this and how we can do this and I’m supporting her in every way I can. And I think that she has a big voice in our athletics department and in the senior class, so I think it’s going to be amazing.”