By Arthur Cosson, Video Editor & Social Media Manager
The last time different Saint Leo athletic teams came together at the University Turf Stadium was for the traditional “Welcome Back” event in 2021 to elect the “best” Lions team. But on Monday, Feb. 6, at 8 pm, the Lions met again and had a mental-health awareness discussion, mixing various fun and competitive games at the lacrosse turf.
A group of student-athletes, led by Associate Athletic Director Barbara Wilson, organized the “Lions Stomp Out the Stigma of Mental Health” event, and brought together about 50 student-athletes to play games and talk about mental health.
“The “Lions Stomp out the Stigma of Mental Health” event was introduced to combat the stigma of mental health here at Saint Leo and to give our athletes a safe space to talk about their challenges,” said Wilson.
Luzia Obermeier, a sophomore on the women’s tennis team, was part of the event’s organization. She explains that “the event’s goal was to show our athletes that they are not alone and that many of us go through similar things while balancing college and being an athlete.”
The event began with a game where all student-athletes that attended formed a large circle and had to take a step forward if they had already faced a mental-health issue which was announced over the microphone.
“With our opening game, we tried to show our athletes that mental health issues are not a sign of weakness since so many of us face them. We also wanted to emphasize that there are many people around us that we can turn to if we need help,” said Obermeier.
The whole evening was a lot of fun, and student-athletes had the opportunity to participate in games such as duck-duck-goose, rock paper scissors tournament, or partner competition of “head-to-toe,” where the winners could win Chick-Fil-A gift cards! Indeed, by asking Aidan O’Leary, a junior on the track and cross-country team, said this first edition was a success. He says, “All the athletes I spoke to enjoy the games and thought it was great to do something new that delivers a positive message at the same time.”
For the future, Wilson said that “more events are already in planning, but we will try to do something a little different for those. But I can say that it will be super fun, and we are hoping that even more people will show up for the next events!” Student-athletes will soon see what Wilson and other athletics department staff members prepare to fight against the stigma related to mental health.
