Hilinski’s Hope Foundation visits USU, keeping son’s memory alive by breaking down mental health stigma
HJ News
Parents of former Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski have been giving “Tyler Talks” since their son died by suicide in 2018. Mark and Kym Hilinski center most of their talks around the unique challenges student-athletes face, coupled with the stigma surrounding mental health as a whole.
As part of a four-month tour, the couple visited Utah State University on Monday and Tuesday. They shared stories of their son and their personal struggles following his death with both the football team and the women’s basketball team.
USU women’s basketball head coach Kayla Ard commended the Hilinskis for their courage to speak on such a difficult topic.
“We’re grateful to them and really thank them for coming out and just telling their story about Tyler,” Ard said. “Just like you work on your basketball skills, you have to work on your mental health.”
Ard said her team has access to mental strength coaches and she is always trying to do different team-building exercises. She even took the team bowling on Tuesday instead of practice, in light of the “Tyler Talk’’ they attended. Ard uses events like these to make sure the players know they have support, and to remind them they are more than just an athlete.
One main goal of the “Tyler Talks” is to get student-athletes more comfortable seeking mental health services. The Hilinskis admit they are not mental health professionals, but strongly believe, through sharing Tyler’s story, they can at least keep the conversation going.
“If you tell people that you’re struggling with your mental health, a lot of athletes think that is somehow showing that you are weak and that’s absolutely the opposite,” Kym said. “We tell them all the time that it takes strength to reach out and ask for help.”
Kym likened mental health to physical injuries. When an athletes sustain an injury, they immediately begin looking into how to progress from the ailment. Kym and Mark hope people will start viewing mental roadblocks in the same way while being proactive when it comes to mental health.
“In Tyler’s case, he gave no signs, never told anybody he was struggling, never asked for help,” Mark said. “One day he’s playing in a bowl game and two weeks later he’s gone for good, without any explanation.”
According to the Hilinskis, the personal experiences shared with them at USU and other “Tyler Talks” are some of the most valuable takeaways.
“It’s humbling but also gratifying to know that these student-athletes are taking care of their mental health,” Kym said.
As the Hilinskis continue spreading Tyler’s story through their foundation, “Hilinski’s Hope,” they want to make sure people understand one thing: Someone who needs help might not always be crying out for it.
“Tyler was the new quarterback, he was very popular, he was happy, he was doing well in school, he had a car with a little bit of gas and a little bit of money, everything you could ask for.” Mark said. “If it can happen to Tyler it can happen to anybody.”
Tyler’s death came just two weeks after his first collegiate start at quarterback.
