Members of Stafford field hockey pose with their Morgan’s Message banner ahead of their Tuesday night game against Colonial Forge.
Stafford field hockey coaches wear teal hats in support of mental health awareness on Tuesday night.
Players with Stafford field hockey wore teal ribbons in support of mental health awareness during Tuesday’s game.
Members of Colonial Forge field hockey wore ‘Human>Athletes’ shirts as part of their Morgan’s Message game.
It’s OK to not be OK.
October is National Depression and Mental Health Awareness and Screening Month in the United States. At the high school level, the message of spreading awareness has grown tremendously.
In recent years, many schools have amplified their voice through Morgan’s Message chapters, a foundation honoring the life of former Duke women’s lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers, who suffered through mental health struggles after a brutal knee injury in 2017, eventually taking her own life in 2019.
Many have created their own Morgan’s Message games, including Colonial Forge’s field hockey team, which held its first game last season against Stafford.
“Athletes face a lot of pressure in school, in their sport, and just everyday life so it’s crucial they know it’s OK to speak up and get support,” Colonial Forge head coach Julie Spinelli said. “Mental health support is just as important as physical health.”
Inspired by participating in the event last fall, Stafford seniors Madalyn Ryan, Tori Bove and junior Kadyn DeLeva took the initiative to join and become officers in their high school’s chapter this year, following in the footsteps of the Eagles, who did so in 2024.
On Tuesday, the Indians held their first Morgan’s Message game against, who else, but Colonial Forge, a full-circle moment for two programs that have helped spread awareness about an important initiative in society.
“We wanted to have our own dedication game because we think that this is a very important program,” Ryan said. “Mental health for student-athletes is very important. … We’re always told by the coaches that we’re going through the same thing. Asking for help from one another is beneficial.”
This movement for the Tribe was entirely the result of the players’ efforts.
“We thought it was important to get the word out there,” DeLeva said.
Stafford’s coaching staff, having already promoted the message of looking out for your teammates and supporting not just oneself, but others, expressed their overwhelming support.
“It’s awesome,” Stafford head coach Bryce Barnes said. “You get to see them take some leadership and ownership of something that’s really special to them, that matters to them, that they believe in. … It’s nice when players step up for a cause, showing their support for something that’s prevalent in this community.”
Stafford came out victorious, improving to 13-1 on the year and 10-0 in the Commonwealth District as they defeated the Eagles, 4-0, but the win was far from the story of the night.
Players wore teal ribbons in their hair and coaches wore teal hats in support of mental health awareness.
Joanie DeGoosh, Rodgers’ head lacrosse coach during her high school career at Kettle Run, came out for the game and met with players and coaches beforehand.
“We had a dedication game for basketball and girls lacrosse, but we never had one for field hockey,” Bove said. “We thought that being part of it as a team would be really cool. … Even though we were in a competition, we put that aside for a few minutes and realized that we’re all athletes at the end of the day.”
Colonial Forge held their second-annual Morgan’s Message game recently against Riverbend and just like the Eagles, Stafford isn’t planning on stopping this now-annual tradition anytime soon.
“As long as we continue to have where the girls are really supporting the message and are invested in it, we definitely would like to continue this,” Barnes said.
Alex Murphy
amurphy@freelancestar.com
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Members of Stafford field hockey pose with their Morgan’s Message banner ahead of their Tuesday night game against Colonial Forge.
Stafford field hockey coaches wear teal hats in support of mental health awareness on Tuesday night.
Players with Stafford field hockey wore teal ribbons in support of mental health awareness during Tuesday’s game.
Members of Colonial Forge field hockey wore ‘Human>Athletes’ shirts as part of their Morgan’s Message game.
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