My name is Owen Hardy. I am a hockey player beginning a new life as a freshman at the University of Dubuque and look forward to earning my degree in Sport Management & Marketing. So far, my first few weeks have been very welcoming, and I look forward to calling Dubuque my home for the next 4 years. My entire life has been surrounded by sports, having played soccer, baseball and basketball, while also spending a large amount of time in the summers trying to perfect my game on the golf course. Athletes spend many hours practicing and training, always trying to get better and stronger, and because of this, are often viewed as big and strong competitors who are mentally tough, ones who don’t let outside distractions bring them down. However, athletes are like everyone else and pressures of things like injuries or not producing or contributing can weigh heavily on them, and often can cause internal struggles. Mental illnesses have been around since 1100 BC, however it’s only more recently that they have gained national spotlight, which has been even more heightened since the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic (and partially because of my age), I hadn’t known anyone personally who was affected by mental illness, but since, have personally witnessed or heard of people I know of, struggle both emotionally and mentally with everyday life. While the struggles and way one handles them is different for everyone; one telling sign is that most tend to stop doing the things they love most. Luckily, I never reached that point with my own struggles, partially because of the support I had around me, which helped me recognize the lows I was feeling. I had an injury occur at the beginning of my final year of junior hockey, which for those looking to further their career is the most important year in junior hockey. What made it even worse, it occurred during the second game of the season and the injury was very slow healing and effected my strength and power, which ultimately affected what I was able to accomplish on the ice. As a result, my individual point production went down, which then pushed me further down the lineup and everything that had looked so promising the year before, including the attention of multiple Division 1 hockey programs, was falling further and further away. My mindset was that everything I had worked so hard for in the last 5 years was going out the window, and I felt helpless. This was really the first time that the confidence I always had on the ice was gone and I questioned if it would ever come back. I went through 2 months of self-doubt and many negative thoughts, which prompted my parents to have me speak to a sport specific mental trainer, who helped me get back on track. And now, whenever I feel the pressures of my day-to-day life, I have the tools needed to help keep me in a positive mindset. On top of that, whenever I need extra help get me through something, I head to my favorite place in the world – the rink – to lace up my skates and help stickhandle my way through difficult times. Mental Health and life struggles are real, but nobody deserves to struggle in silence. Be willing to talk to others, find ways to cope and change your mindset, and never forget that there are others that may need you to help them through difficult times.
