Lamar football partners with 'Hilinski's Hope' to focus on mental health
KXLY
Lamar University is teaming up with a national foundation to better monitor the mental health of college athletes.
The Cardinals have partnered with Hilinki's Hope and will participate in College Football Mental Health Week, which will take place Oct. 1-8.
Lamar is among 115 colleges nationwide participating in activities that recognize the importance of mental health.
Lamar head football coach Blane Morgan emphasized the need to continue the conversation when it comes to the well-being of student athletes. He wants to create a team environment at Lamar that allows athletes to speak up if need be.
"We let them know that they are loved and cared for," Morgan said. "Hopefully that creates a trust where if they feel like something's not quite right, that they can go and tell someone to get help."
Hilinski’s Hope was established by Mark and Kym Hilinski to honor the legacy of their son Tyler, a former quarterback at Washington State who died by suicide in 2018. The foundation serves to give students better access to mental health resources and destigmatize mental illness.
"While conversations around mental illness can be tough and at times uncomfortable, it is absolutely critical for the well-being of our student athletes," Kym Hilinski said. "We have spoken on dozens of campuses to help encourage these conversations and share Tyler's story. We miss Tyler every day, but we are grateful to know that what we are doing is making a difference and that he would be proud of us."
Participating schools with show their commitment to the cause in various ways, including online mental heath courses, social media campaigns and internal assessments of best practices with their football programs.
Morgan said multiple Lamar players have battled with mental health issues in recent years. The Cardinals offer on-campus counselors for any student-athlete in need.
Lamar is the only Southland Conference school taking part in the foundation's mental health week. Other Texas schools participating include Baylor, SMU, Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Texas Tech, North Texas and UT-Rio Grande Valley.
