My name is Dazza Mitchell; I am a freshman here at UD set to graduate in 2029. I am a goalie for the hockey team. As a goalie, I can tell you that much of my position and sports in general, has a massive mental demand. Of course, the physical side of a sport can be quite obvious to a random onlooker, yet many people are unaware of just how mentally draining competitive sport can be. There are expectations from coaches, parents and even yourself. You are pressured constantly to be at your best consistently. This process requires a strong physical body yes but also demands a mentality that would be unimaginable to someone unfamiliar with the world of high-speed sports. While I have spent countless hours doing physical therapy, yoga, and stretching, my body still becomes bruised and strained. The same thing happens to your mental health. During the 2022-2023 season, I was the starting goaltender for my junior hockey team, the Weyburn Red Wings. The season had lots of energy and support from the community, as Weyburn had not had a successful team in nearly a decade. Going into the Christmas break, we had a respectable record saw us holding onto the final playoff spot. But that’s when my season took a turn. Going home for the break, I saw my family every day for the first time since I had left in August. Things were not the way I left them; my family was facing a struggle that nearly ripped us apart. After witnessing the trauma and potential life-altering reality of home, I was excited to escape back to Weyburn and into hockey. I made it about a month, to the end of January, until hockey could no longer shelter me from my deteriorating mental health. I was keeping to myself, staying home whenever possible, and generally avoiding everyone in the dressing room and community. I got really good at faking my way through days. Luckily, I had a coach who cared about me and noticed my silent struggle. He gave me a card for a local therapist who specialized in athlete and family issues. My first call with her was an hour of me falling apart on the phone, as all my pent-up emotions and anxieties came flowing out. It hurt, but I also didn’t know how good it would feel afterwards. Fast forward to today and I have been diagnosed with Anxiety and am on medication to keep me regulated. I am living proof that you cannot do it alone. I was able to find people to help me. Now here I am, in my first year of university, sixteen hours away from home, managing school, hockey and my social life. I couldn’t be happier. A lot of people, men especially, are seen as weak for being emotional and asking for help. I believe that it takes an even stronger person to be able to admit that they need help. You have to want to get better, otherwise it just doesn’t work. I am proud of myself for being able to admit that I was in need of help and I would encourage anyone else who may be struggling out there, ask for help.
