NEW HAVEN, Conn. (January 29, 2020) -- The 14 member schools of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) will help to conduct a Mental Health Awareness Month at upcoming home basketball doubleheaders from Feb. 8-22, with an aim at breaking the stigma and letting individuals know it is okay to discuss mental struggles they are dealing with.
It marks the second-consecutive year the CACC will hold a Mental Health Awareness Period, as it also did so in late January/early February of 2019. Wristbands will be handed out at each institution's home games. The schedule of Mental Health Games is as follows.
SATURDAY, FEB. 8
Georgian Court at Bloomfield
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12
Bloomfield at Felician
USciences at Georgian Court
SATURDAY, FEB. 15
Caldwell at Holy Family
Concordia at Wilmington
TUESDAY, FEB. 18
Nyack at Concordia
Bloomfield at Dominican
Chestnut Hill at Goldey-Beacom
Georgian Court at Jefferson
Felician at Post
Holy Family at USciences
SATURDAY, FEB. 22
Dominican at Caldwell
Jefferson at Chestnut Hill
Post at Nyack
All 14 schools will provide various programming and information on a variety of topics dealing with mental health such as breaking the stigma of talking about issues, suicide prevention, stress and anxiety, dealing with depression and making individuals aware of counseling centers on campus and in surrounding communities.
Mental health and breaking the stigma of talking about the various issues has become a point of emphasis with the NCAA, as schools and conferences across all divisions have stepped up to raise awareness. The NCAA provides an extensive section on its website discussing mental health and can be found HERE.
Student-athletes across all three divisions have identified mental health as their number one health and safety priority. Thirty (30) percent of student-athletes self-report that they are consistently overwhelmed. That overwhelming feeling can lead to stress and anxiety that young people try to deal with on their own while going through the day-to-day grind of completing college course work.
The CACC and its member institutions aim to foster an environment where student-athletes look out for the health and wellness of themselves and their teammates.
Communicate. Be Aware. Show Compassion. Be a Champion for Each Other.
