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

The organization, which was co-founded in 2020 by the Virginia-based Rodgers family in the aftermath of Morgan Rodgers’ death by suicide the year prior, is focused on providing student-athletes with resources to help with struggles related to mental health.

Morgan was a lacrosse player at Duke University at the time of her death, prompting the founders to focus Morgan’s Message toward athletes. Having already been interested in eliminating stigmas surrounding mental health in athletics, Hilton and Guinn were inspired by Wyckoff’s younger sister, Rylie, to become Ball State field hockey’s Morgan’s Message ambassadors.

“Mental health is just as important as your physical health when you're playing a sport,” Hilton said. “In college athletics, sometimes it's overlooked, considering that there is a big overlap between performance and mental performance.”

Although Rylie is just a junior at Warren Hills High School in New Jersey, she is already representing her school as its Morgan’s Message ambassador. Last Sunday, the Cardinals hosted a Morgan’s Message match against Louisville, during which Rylie spoke at halftime.

Ball State lost 4-2 to Louisville, but head coach Caitlin Walsh felt the meaning behind the match outweighed the result.

“It’s just truly special, and it brings everyone together,” Walsh said. “When we're sitting on the sidelines, it's a game, but to have something that we can overall come together and support is awesome.”

Guinn, a senior, has had a storied journey with her own mental health. Her biggest struggle during her four seasons as a Division-I athlete has been juggling her personalities: student, athlete, Maya.

“It took me a long time in college to figure out how to balance it well,” Guinn said. “Being able to help younger athletes who are just starting out in college do that through this club seemed like an amazing opportunity.”

To find a slice of “me time” every day, Guinn goes for runs or walks and listens to podcasts hosted by the likes of Nick Bare. She recognized the benefits of activities like journaling and yoga, too.

What works best for Guinn when it comes to mentally preparing for her time on the pitch is intentionally setting aside five minutes before each practice or match to leave all her worldly problems to the side. Hilton, a sports performance graduate student, knows techniques like that have benefits come gametime.

“Knowing how to control your emotions or your thoughts while you're playing, and how to use that to your advantage really makes the most out of what [sport] you're playing,” Hilton said. “ … It’s cool that I get to take what I learn in school and apply it to real-life scenarios in my actual athletic career.”

Walsh, who was a field hockey athlete at Old Dominion prior to her coaching career, realizes the unique perspective she brings to her role when it comes to understanding her athletes’ struggles, both from a personal and athletic standpoint. Walsh found during her time as a Monarch that field hockey is 95 percent mental, and she has carried that belief into her coaching philosophy.

With that in mind, Walsh never hesitated when Guinn, Hilton and Wyckoff came to her with the idea of Ball State field hockey’s involvement in Morgan’s Message.

“I tell the team all the time, ‘You can get involved in as much on campus and within the community as you want to,’” Walsh said. “They give it their all on the field and in the classroom, so I think it's super important that they chase the things that they're super passionate about.”

Guinn said Ball State’s Morgan’s Message team has already seen tangible results in the short time she and Hilton have led the organization. And it’s not just field hockey players Morgan’s Message is impacting.

“All athletes are pretty much going through the same things and having to conquer the same things,” Guinn said. “ … We’ve been able to have more one-on-one conversations with people being able to openly talk about mental health, instead of just keeping it a more secret thing.”

The Cardinals next take the pitch Friday, Sept. 27 with a 3 p.m. Mid-American Conference (MAC) match against Miami (OH) at Briner Sports Complex in Muncie.

Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kmsmedley213@gmail.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.

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