July 27, 2021. I was sitting on my living room couch watching the Tokyo Olympics, waiting in anticipation for one of my favorite athletes in the world–Simone Biles–to perform her vault routine in the women’s team gymnastics final. The NBC announcer stated, “The greatest to do this event and the greatest of all time. It doesn’t matter what vault she does. It’s a show stopper.” I could not agree more. Simone Biles, in my eyes, was the definition of greatness and athletic perfection. That girl could do it all and could do it flawlessly. I was biting my nails as Simone started running towards the vault. She flew into the air and was about to do her usual high difficulty rotation sequence when….she didn’t. Instead, she did a seemingly simple flip in the air and then stumbled. I gasped. “Wow,” the announcer said. “A very uncharacteristic vault for Simone. It looks like she almost got lost in the air.” The greatest athlete of all time made a crucial mistake on the world stage for all to see. Simone proceeded to withdraw from the competition due to having “the twisties,” a dangerous mental block that occurs in athletes. Many people described Simone as weak and a quitter. They thought that she was using “the twisties” as an excuse for her poor performance on the vault and as a reason to quit the Olympics while she was ahead. That moment in sports history had a profound effect on me. As a varsity lacrosse goalie (though nowhere near the level of Simone), I completely understood the pressure to be perfect and the stigma that existed with mental health in athletics, for every goal that I let up as a goalie is broadcasted on the scoreboard for all to see. Like Simone, there is no way to hide a mistake. Little did I realize that this moment would greatly influence my decision to raise mental health awareness on a higher level.

During my sophomore year of high school, I was writing my final paper for AP Seminar and the topic was “Mental Health in Sports: Breaking the Stigma.” While doing my research, I came across an organization that stood out to me called Morgan’s Message. Morgan Rodgers was a Division 1 lacrosse player at Duke University who tragically ended her life in 2019 as a result of mental health struggles. Her story resonated with me because we had so much in common. We were both high level lacrosse players, high achieving students and go-getters. Morgan was essentially me. After submitting my paper to the College Board, my immediate focus shifted to founding a Morgan’s Message Club at my high school to bring awareness to the importance of mental health in sports and to provide support to all of our student athletes. The club was unanimously approved by the school board in December 2024.

Though the club is still taking off, I feel a lot has been accomplished in the short time since its inception. I became a Morgan’s Message ambassador and lead monthly club meetings on topics and presentations from the national organization. Topics have included “How to Support a Teammate” and “Performance Anxiety.” I attend virtual sessions with Morgan’s Message and collaborate with ambassadors from all over the country. The greatest achievement of the club so far, in my opinion, was organizing our school’s inaugural Morgan’s Message dedication game and having my varsity lacrosse team host it. Student-athletes from all different sports, the school community, the school board, and residents from all over the county came together to support the cause. A picture of my lacrosse team with the Morgan’s Message logo lit up the scoreboard. There were balloons and banners in the stands. Custom t-shirts sold out within 20 minutes. The energy was so positive and everyone in attendance was united to support the mission of Morgan’s Message. I hope to continue to honor Morgan’s legacy for the remainder of my high school career and in college as well. No athlete–no matter the level–should ever suffer in silence.