RISK MANAGEMENT
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
BUDDY CHECK FOR JESSE
Buddy Check for Jesse - Coaches have a unique role and typically command respect and carry a lot of responsibility. They are looked up to by the players. The dressing room is a special place where kids feel safe and listen to their coaches’ instructions.
This, coupled with the ‘experiential’ act of taping their stick (a hugely important and fun part of hockey) made this a unique way to reach out to this population of youth/young adults. It is different than many established “awareness” projects.
Hockey is Canada’s game and everyone is becoming more aware that professional players (in all sports) are not spared the challenges of mental health disorders. Why not let these kids know it is likely present in their own dressing room? I know it helps players feel supported and everyone at the rink became aware of the green tape when the kids came out on the ice.
ON-SIDE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
Onside Mental Health Awareness - The On-Side Mental Health project is about sharing stories from officials who have struggled with their mental health at some point in their life. We are all a part of the same family and we are all committed to taking care of our teammates. The ultimate goal is to encourage and help remove the stigma from having day-to-day conversations about mental health. As much as officiating is a family, it is often a solitary exercise and it's too easy to hide our problems from the people in the officiating community. Most people are perfectly willing to discuss mental health when a tragedy occurs but as the dust settles, the stigma and fear of judgement or lack of understanding re-asserts itself. We want to help keep the dust from settling.