Amazing Mental Health Initiative

If there's one type of initiative I can get behind and support, it's the work done to better the mental health of people today. We hear about how people are struggle to cope with the mental illnesses that affect them, and there seemingly are more and more people who are admitting that they suffer from some kind of mental illness every day. Michael Landsberg of TSN uses the hashtag "#sicknotweak" all the time in his tweets, and I think it's a profoundly powerful message in a very simple statement. Today, it was announced that there's a new mental initiative being started specifically for hockey goaltenders by a guy who knows all too well about the realities of battling mental illness while wearing a mask.

Justin Goldman, the founder and owner of The Goalie Guild, a "nonprofit foundation that educates, inspires, and supports hockey goalies and goalie coaches", introduced another resource for goalies in Lift the Mask. He posted a letter to the site explaining why he was starting this initiative, but there was one paragraph that stood out to me. He writes,

"Due to the lofty pressures we face on and off the ice, goalies are prone to a slew of mental illnesses. Many of us struggle with fear, performance anxiety, and various obsessive compulsive disorders. The very nature of the position can even shape us into emotionless and detached beings. As if riding this endless wave of melancholy isn't mentally taxing enough, goalies still have to fight this outdated stigma of being labeled as 'weird' or 'strange' by others. Many hockey coaches and parents still lack a solid understanding of what goalies truly go through, so instead of getting the help we need, we're often left to our own devices or expected to figure it out on our own. This is not only unrealistic, it's oftentimes unhealthy."

Having heard the message that Mikayla Ogrodniczuk delivered on The Hockey Show about her friend Laura Taylor who took her own life with very few people knowing about the battles she was fighting internally and by experiencing the loss of my good friend in Brad Drake without knowing he was struggling, the "figure it out" part of Mr. Goldman's statement hit home.

Yes, everyone who has been in a hockey locker room with a goaltender has probably made the joke that goalies are weird with their superstitions and their routines. If the saying, "there's a grain of truth in every joke" is actually true, some of our friends and teammates may actually be struggling with their own mental illnesses despite laughing along with us. It is under this masking of the truth with laughter where the struggle is real for some.

Lift the Mask is pledging to help anyone who may want help through its website by putting those seeking help in contact "with a trained mental health provider through the [Anxiety and Depression Association of America]'s public listings. This service is 100% free of charge and can be done anonymously. Once you've taken this step, The Goalie Guild is committed to working with you to remove any financial barriers by covering the cost of your first consultation, chat, or visit with a professional (up to $100 USD)." That's an amazing pledge to the readers of The Goalie Guild, and Justin Goldman deserves major kudos for making that kind of commitment to his readers. Well done, sir!

There have been some high-profile stories presented through various mediums already, and I feel fortunate to have read Clint Malarchuk's story in his book The Crazy Game. The fact that Clint Malarchuk found the strength to present his story as he did is a testament to his resolve, but his story is a sobering look at one man's battle with mental illness. Corey Hirsch, Robin Lehner, and Ben Meisner have all written about their struggles with mental illness as well, and these stories are linked on the Lift the Mask page.

Perhaps what is most important is that Mr. Goldman has found himself some excellent ambassadors who are willing to help with the Lift the Mask initiative and help those who are seeking help to find the help that they need. One of those ambassadors is Kelsey Neumann, formerly of the Buffalo Beauts and currently a member of Les Canadiennes de Montreal, and it's pretty great to see a female ambassador that can assist any female goaltenders who may be looking for someone with whom to speak.

"Only a goalie can appreciate what a goalie goes through." -Jacques Plante @TheGoalieGuild launched their #LiftTheMask initiative to remind all goalies you're not alone! I am extremely honored to be an ambassador for the program! For more info visit https://t.co/D4PntMgFJe pic.twitter.com/VpZdUVDEHi

— Kelsey Neumann (@lilneumy) September 15, 2018

As I stated above, I support the initiatives that work to better the mental health of people today. We hear about the struggles that people face on a daily basis, but we never consider how heavily they actually weigh on us. For as much as medical science has done in helping us obtain a better understanding of how these mental illnesses may manifest, it seems the one resource we all can provide without a medical degree is the interaction of talking and listening. Lift the Mask is an excellent resource if you want to talk to someone anonymously who is willing to listen and wants to make sure that you're not overwhelmed or giving up.

As Justin Goldman stated, "Knowing that a partnership with the ADAA might help even one member of the goalie brotherhood is all the motivation I need to do whatever it takes turn this idea into a reality." That's good enough for me to promote Lift the Mask as well.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!