Mental health has become a very prominent topic among teens due to the mounting pressure created by school and outside events. At Cinnaminson High School, the Wellness Center was created to allow students to decompress and focus on themselves instead of their schoolwork for a little bit. Now, a new club, Morgan’s Message, expands on mental health, particularly among student-athletes.

Many schools in the New Jersey area have established their own form of Morgan’s Message, and now it is time for Cinnaminson to put its own spin on the club. 

“It came about from a lacrosse player in college [Morgan] who had really bad mental health after a really brutal injury, and then she couldn’t play her sport anymore. And ended up being a life or death situation where she did take her life,” Mrs. Katherine Forte, a science teacher and coach at CHS, who helps to oversee the club and its meetings, said. “We just want to make sure that student-athletes understand that there’s always going to be someone in your corner.”

Forte explains how Dylan Burk, a junior who is involved with several sports teams at the high school, approached her about the idea of bringing the club to Cinnaminson. 

Burk heard about the program through an acquaintance who encouraged him to sign up to be an ambassador for Morgan’s Message. Afterwards, he decided to bring a chapter to CHS.

The club serves as a safe place for athletes. They hold discussions and participate in small activities that provide security to students who feel overwhelmed, particularly with their given sports. 

“I understand the severity of sports right now, but nothing should ever be so big that you would want to not be here anymore because a sport can’t be played,” Forte said. 

Leah Duba, a junior at CHS, is a student ambassador for Morgan’s Message and has found that the club has helped her manage her mental health in a better way. 

“I’ve struggled with mental health a little bit, so I wanted to join the club to give back to the people who’ve helped me,” Duba said. “A lot of people struggle with mental health, you know, they don’t even realize it. So I think that when we just spread awareness… it can help others realize that they’re not alone.”

Burk emphasizes how Morgan’s Message provides student-athletes with ways to cope with their mental health struggles both on and off the field. 

“Everybody in here, whether they’re varsity, JV, or freshman, a lot of people are athletes, and…nobody has an easy sport. There’s always some issue that you can always talk about,” Burk said.

The club is open to all sports, meaning that any team can hold a dedication game that raises money for the Morgan’s Message Foundation. These games normalize talking about mental health, as many athletes are struggling in silence.

Several teams that have organized fundraisers for Morgan’s Message were girls’ teams, like lacrosse and field hockey. Including boys’ teams in the fundraising games was important for Burk, and Forte said she wanted to support his goal.

“[We are] trying to make sure boys understand that ending the stigma around mental health is important as well because we know everyone’s stressed with their sports and, like, a balance of school life,” Forte said.

These fundraisers not only assist the community in understanding the importance of ending the stigma around mental health, but it also helps the players.

“We do games to get people to come out, which also helps support the teams, to make them more confident, and can help people feel more appreciated and better about themselves,” Burk said.

The newness of the club still serves as a challenge, however. 

“Right now it’s just kind of like a building year. Get ideas out, understand where this might be able to lead to,” Forte said. She discusses how, in addition to lunch meetings, they strive to involve themselves with spring sports in the future. 

The club has already helped student-athletes like Duba, who have benefited from the club’s mindfulness activities and the support that the group offers.

“You connect with other people and…everyone’s so open, everyone’s so kind, especially because it’s, like, a tough topic to talk about,” Duba said.

Mental health awareness will continue to be this club’s goal. Forte stresses the importance of the club in the current state of the world. 

“Especially with everything going on in the world, and we can have it at our hands at any moment, having a support group where you are real people talking together and not just, like, looking at stuff online. While also balancing your social life, your work life, your school life, and your sport life,” Forte said. “ If you don’t have a grasp on your mental health, you can’t get through the day.”

Meetings will continue in Forte’s room, E265, every third Wednesday of the month. All students are welcome to join at any point in the school year to help eliminate the stigma around mental health and build a supportive community for athletes that reaches all parts of the country.