Peyton Harris, Editor

(Trigger warning: this article has mentions of mental health struggles, suicide and death)

Across the country, student-athletes gear up to take the field, court, track or pool to represent their respective schools. From junior varsity high school teams to NCAA collegiate-level squads, students go out to participate in a sport that they love, to grow their skills and to foster a sense of camaraderie. 

As student-athletes, these individuals often have demanding schedules, multiple responsibilities and countless reasons for stress. If overlooked, however, mental health can develop further issues.

Morgan Rodgers was recruited to play Division I lacrosse for Duke University in 2014. She had struggled with anxiety in high school, which she sought treatment for. During her sophomore season at Duke, she suffered an injury to her knee which caused her to withdraw from the season and enter a year-long recovery period. As Rodgers seemingly presented a positive attitude while trying to return to the field, her struggles with anxiety and depression worsened.

Morgan Rodgers died by suicide on July 11, 2019, at the age of 22. The exact reasons she took her own life we may never know, but her personal struggles with self-worth and isolation, not to mention the loss of what she’d known for years – her sport – certainly were factors in that tragic decision. Morgan’s family and friends were devastated at the loss. From their loss, however, they were able to form a foundation that aims to tackle the issues that Rodgers faced.

Morgan’s Message was founded on Duke’s campus by Rodgers’s teammates in 2021. Directed toward student-athletes, the organization’s goal is to start the conversation among athletes about the personal mental health struggles they face. Within months, clubs had begun sprouting up on schools and campuses across the country. La Salle University’s Morgan’s Message club began that same year. 

Katie Johnson is a La Salle senior majoring in dietetics. She is also a member of the women’s lacrosse team and one of the student leaders involved in coordinating La Salle’s Morgan’s Message chapter. 

“My freshman year, [the chapter] started with a field hockey girl who also lost a friend to suicide,” said Johnson. “I grew up in a home that was very focused on mental health, so it’s always just kind of been something that I want to make sure everyone is doing their best, and whatever I can do to help.”

As the La Salle chapter enters its fourth year, it has grown to encompass athletes from all areas across campus. The goal is to foster open peer-to-peer communication on the tough topics surrounding mental health challenges, learn what these student-athletes can do to support one another and connect those in need with the proper resources. 

“La Salle lacrosse, we had a personal situation happen six years ago… and so it’s always been a very significant topic on our team, to sort of carry on that message,” said Johnson. 

On Dec. 8, 2019, the La Salle community was rocked by the sudden passing of women’s lacrosse player Brittany Stevens. “This is a devastating loss for our lacrosse family. We will miss her enormously,” said head coach Katie Rhodes Abbott.

“It shifted my perspective to how important it is and how much of an impact it can have on an environment,” said Johnson. “I want to carry that on to all of the student body and La Salle Athletics in general.”

Johnson highlighted the partnership between Morgan’s Message and the Athletics Department, while saying she appreciates the work they already do and would like to see more. 

“I think [Morgan’s Message] is an important presence because an athletic department can only do so much, and I think there is a difference in the impact when it comes from students versus when it comes from administration,” Johnson said. 

“We have various events, speeches and presentations from various people that are hosted by athletics. But it can be sort of more of a business in that regard, and to have that sort of smaller community where if you did need help, you had a peer that was there to help, or even just to listen.”

Johnson acknowledged the hesitancy that is common among students when it comes to opening up about sensitive topics. “I’m not the type of person to admit everything to my advisor or athletics advisor, but I would feel comfortable, or a sense of comfort, just attending a meeting for Morgan’s Message and know that there are other people that are experiencing the same thing, because it [the chapter] is just students,” she said

As Johnson prepares to graduate this spring, she hopes that Morgan’s Message will continue to foster discussion among student-athletes and within campus culture surrounding mental health awareness, including further partnership with the university and athletics.

“There are so many speakers and other organizations that specialize in universities’ and colleges’ student-athletes. Our strength coaches and athletic trainers have an open-door policy. But I think that coaches and administration, if it’s a full Athletics Department effort, it creates an environment where everyone’s on the same page.”

To take part in a meeting with La Salle’s Morgan’s Message chapter, follow their Instagram account @morgansmessage_lasallefor updates on events around campus and Morgan’s Message-dedicated games throughout the athletic calendar. As students, student-athletes and human beings, we have a responsibility to be kind and considerate to one another. As the foundation says, “Recovery is possible – let’s take a shot.”

If you or someone you know is struggling, the first step is to reach out for support. You can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or by chatting online at 988lifeline.org. These services are available 24/7 and can provide free, confidential, and judgment-free support. The La Salle Student Counseling Center can be reached at (215) 951-1355, and Public Safety Office at (215) 951-2111. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.