Ball State Field Hockey is helping fight stigma around mental health through Morgan's Message

When Ball State hockey junior Jenna Wyckoff told her teammates Maya Guinn and Emma Hilton about Morgan's message, the two upperclassmen were immediately interested.

The organization, co-founded in 2020 by the Virginia-based Rodgers family following the suicide death of Morgan Rodgers the year before, focuses on providing student-athletes with resources to support them with mental health-related issues.

Morgan was a lacrosse player at Duke University at the time of her death, which led the founders to focus Morgan's message on athletes. Already interested in eliminating stigma surrounding mental health in athletics, Hilton and Guinn were inspired by Wyckoff's younger sister, Rylie, to become ambassadors for Ball State Field Hockey's Morgan's Message.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to exercise,” Hilton said. “In college athletics, this is sometimes overlooked given the large overlap between performance and mental ability.”

Although Rylie is only a senior at Warren Hills High School in New Jersey, she already represents her school as a Morgan's Message ambassador. Last Sunday, the Cardinals hosted a Morgan's Message match against Louisville, where Rylie spoke at halftime.

Ball State lost 4-2 to Louisville, but head coach Caitlin Walsh felt the meaning of the game was more important than the result.

“It’s just really special and it brings everyone together,” Walsh said. “If we’re sitting on the sidelines it’s one game, but having something that we can come together and support overall is great.”

Guinn, a senior, has had a storied journey with her own mental health. Her biggest problem during her four seasons as a Division I athlete was balancing her personalities: student, athlete, Maya.

“It took me a long time in college to figure out how to balance that well,” Guinn said. “The opportunity to help younger athletes just starting college through this club seemed like a great opportunity.”

To have some time for herself every day, Guinn goes for runs or walks and listens to podcasts hosted by people like Nick Bare. She also recognized the benefits of activities like journaling and yoga.

What works best for Guinn when it comes to mentally preparing for her time on the court is consciously taking five minutes before each practice or game to put all her worldly problems aside. Hilton, a competitive sports student, knows techniques like these have benefits when playing.

“If you know how to control your emotions or thoughts while playing and how to use them to your advantage, you can get the most out of it [sport] “You play,” Hilton said. “…It’s cool that I can apply what I learn in school to real-world scenarios in my actual athletic career.”

Walsh, who was a field hockey athlete at Old Dominion before her coaching career, recognizes the unique perspective she brings to her role in understanding her athletes' struggles from both a personal and athletic perspective. During her time as Monarch, Walsh discovered that field hockey is 95 percent mental, and she has incorporated that belief into her coaching philosophy.

With that in mind, Walsh never hesitated when Guinn, Hilton and Wyckoff approached her with the idea of ​​Ball State Field Hockey becoming involved in Morgan's Message.

“I tell the team all the time, 'You can be as involved on campus and in the community as you want,'” Walsh said. “They do their best on the field and in the classroom, so I think it’s extremely important that they pursue the things they care about.”

Guinn said Ball State's Morgan's Message team has already achieved tangible results in the short time she and Hilton have led the organization. And Morgan's message doesn't just impact field hockey players.

“All athletes go through pretty much the same things and have to overcome the same things,” Guinn said. “…We were able to have more one-on-one conversations with people who could talk openly about mental health rather than just keeping it secret.”

Next up for the Cardinals is a Mid-American Conference (MAC) game against Miami (OH) at the Briner Sports Complex in Muncie on Friday, September 27th at 3 p.m.

Contact Kyle Smedley via email at [email protected] or via X @KyleSmedley_.