Tag: Mental Health Awareness

Dolphins Tyreek Hill offering fans VIP opportunity for charity

This could be a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for many.

The Miami Dolphins organization has always been at the pinnacle of charity, philanthropy and community for decades. The history of what the Dolphins do off of the field is impactful in many sectors, and one of their newer players is bringing his message with him to add to his on-field prowess.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill is not only leading the NFL currently in receptions as well as receiving yards, but he also founded the Tyreek Hill Family Foundation.

The foundation aims to empower individuals for a brighter future through education and wellness. They believe that wellness is a lifelong journey of pursuing good health, and mental health is an impart part of that. Hill and the foundation are working to encourage conversations and raise funds to support mental health.

Mental health is a topic that recently has become a heavy focus, certainly with the rise of social media with instant news and reactions making or breaking spirits daily.

Hill and his foundation aim to support this important aspect of daily health and will raise awareness at their first Miami-based gala on November 11 at the Hilton Miami Downtown. The wideout has been working with his foundation since back in Kansas City as a Chief.

All proceeds of the campaign will support the foundation’s goal to provide funding to the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, reducing the financial barrier adolescents and their families face when needing treatment.

We had the opportunity and pleasure to discuss this gala and the foundation with the Cheetah himself (details are all within the below video) for a truly enjoyable chat.

During the conversation, Hill discussed the importance of the cause and insinuated that mental health is an issue that touches close to home. He went on to describe his goals of being equally elite as an off-field athlete as he is in-between the sidelines.

“The biggest piece, for me, is just having that legacy, you know, not only just on the field but also off the field,” Hill said.

Hill mentions his aspirations of winning the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which recognizes a player for his excellence on and off the field. Three Dolphins have taken home the prestigious award – Dwight Stephenson (1985), Dan Marino (1998) and Jason Taylor (2007).

He said that his aspiration, when his career is all said and done, is for people to say, “Tyreek was a heckuva football player, but he was a helluva person off the field too, though.”

Hill and the Foundation have teamed up with the charitable platform CAUZEO to host this online fundraiser. The complete prize package includes two VIP gala tickets with a meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with Hill, dinner, a program, entertainment and an open bar. On top of that, winner will also receive a two-night weekend hotel stay at Hilton Miami Downtown, the host site of the gala.

The winner and guest will also receive two lower-level tickets to attend the Dolphins-Browns game on Sunday, November 13 at Hard Rock Stadium. One runner-up will also receive an autographed snapback signed by Hill.

Donating $10 or more at CAUZEO by November 9 gets an entry to win, and if you want to guarantee your way into the Gala, which is rumored to feature Hill’s teammates, you can donate $300 for two tickets, or visit the link to view additional ticketing and sponsorship options.

Donors can enter by visiting go.cauzeo.com/tyreek until 6:00 pm ET on Wednesday, November 9. Winners will be contacted within one hour of the campaign closing and announced publicly on the foundation’s official social media accounts.

Full Video of a Conversation with a Cheetah for Charity!

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Tyler Lockett shares Twitter thread about battling depression, anxiety

Yesterday on Twitter Lockett shared a moving thread of messages detailing his battle with anxiety and depression since he entered the NFL. 

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett is one of the players who will need to step up into a leadership role this year. In the absence of Russell Wilson and Duane Brown, we believe he is the best candidate to take over as the team’s new offensive captain in 2022.

Lockett has been in the league for eight years now and has always conducted himself with the utmost humility and respect, in addition to being an incredibly underrated receiver. Whether or not he is named offensive captain remains to be seen, but Lockett is already taking the lead on something that’s far more important than football: mental health awareness.

Yesterday on Twitter Lockett shared a moving thread of messages detailing his battle with anxiety and depression since he entered the NFL.

The Seahawks are also stepping up in this area. They have launched a Mental Health Matters program. Here’s the idea, per the team site.

“Mental Health Matters is a program that will focus on destigmatizing, normalizing and encouraging conversations around mental health. The Seahawks will partner with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to provide resources and steps to get help, while also providing warning signs of mental illness and what to do when those signs are present, including steps to get proper help.”

You can learn more here.

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Ben Simmons’ reported grievance against the 76ers and the huge implications that come with it, explained

This could be a huge case for the NBA.

Just when it looked like we could all put the 76ers-Ben Simmons beef behind us for a second, something else comes up to remind us that this will never end.

Ben Simmons has officially filed a grievance against the 76ers the challenge the $20 million they’ve withheld from his salary after he didn’t play a single game for them this season.

Simmons demanded a trade after he was thrown under the bus in the aftermath of last season’s loss to the Hawks in the playoffs, Ben Simmons demanded a trade in the offseason and refused to interact with the team in any capacity.

He eventually reported to the team and showed up for practice and things went off the rails once again. Simmons then claimed he was struggling with his mental health and needed to step away from the team.

All the while, the 76ers kept fining him. Now we’re here. Simmons is trying to get that fine money back through the grievance. But, more than that, this case could have huge implications on how these situations are dealt with moving forward.

Let’s talk about it.

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Jags WR DJ Chark discusses how mental health awareness has helped him

With it being mental health awareness month, Jags WR DJ Chark is doing his part to explain the benefits of good mental health.

While the players on each respective NFL roster may look superhuman to many, they also deal with some of the issues that normal people do. For Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DJ Chark Jr., the one relatable issue he’s had like many other Americans is the battle with anxiety and depression.

“Growing up my whole life I was always dealing with a lot going on at the same time,” Chark said recently when asked about the importance of mental health month. “So I didn’t really know how to handle life, school, relationships-once I got to college I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.”

Chark’s battle led him to a sports psychiatrist who was able to help him better deal with his mental health problems through medicine. From that point on, it certainly seems like things have worked out as he became a second-round draft choice, a pro bowler, and a father.

Chark’s success on and off the field is proof that one can overcome the hurdles of mental health issues. As a result, he can define what it exactly means to have good mental health, which isa tool that can be used to encourage others to seek help.

“Positive mental health to me means freedom, being able to think with a clear mind, act with a clear mind,” Chark said. “It helps with communication and being able to make decisions under stress.”

Chark also shared another way he’s been able to overcome mental health issues in addition to medicine — and that’s simply by enjoying time with his loved ones.

“To stay mentally healthy I love to spend time with my loved ones and my family — being able to go home and spend time with my wife, being able to go home to my two dogs and deal with them.”

Seeing players like Chark and others speak on such an issue is huge as anxiety is the most common mental illness amongst Americans according to the ADAA, affecting 40 million adults in the country who are 18 and older. Nearly one-half of the Americans suffering from anxiety also suffer from depression or vice versa. However, with athletes like Chark leading the way in the battle, those numbers could drop drastically over time.