RDPH President John Obelienius says the league is keen to be part of the solution when it comes to making hockey a safer space for players and coaches to talk about mental health.
“Red Deer Pond Hockey felt it was important because one, Brian Ennis with Team Alex, founded our league. We have long asked how we can help spread Team Alex’s message even further, and we are happy to be the first organization to conduct their training,” says Obelienius.
“With the patch, we wanted it to be in a visible place, and we hope it can raise awareness through people asking what the patch means. It’s a talking point for coaches to ask when they go into the locker room, and we hope that spreads out to the community. Eventually we want all the teams to have the patches on their jerseys.”
Brian Ennis, who founded Team Alex in honor of his son who took his own life in 2019, is proud that the league he created is a big driver in ending the stigma.
“We really think this is the time to do this because of where we are right now with COVID, people are still struggling and a lot of mental health issues and suicides are happening,” says Ennis.
“Send the message that your mental health is important. We hope that other sports leagues see this and see the value in doing it. We want players and coaches to feel more comfortable sharing that they have issues or need to talk to someone. This could open doors for conversations.”
The first games with the new patches will take place on November 6 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Center at Red Deer Polytechnic.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues and needs help, here is a list of resources in central Alberta:
Canadian Mental Health Association – 403-342-2266
Suicide Information and Education Services – 403-342-4966
Alberta Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-303-2642
Suicide Distress Line for the 403 area code: 1-800-784-2433
Children’s Helpline: 1-800-668-6868
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