Softball to Host Mental Health Game Wednesday

NORMAN —The Oklahoma softball team is partnering with OU Athletics' Student Athlete Innovative Leaders (SAIL) to host a Mental Health Game on Wednesday.

2019 MENTAL HEALTH GAME
Who	OU Softball & SAIL
What	Mental Health Awareness Game
Where	Marita Hynes Field
When	Wednesday @ 6 p.m.
Wear green to show support!

The Sooners' game against Tulsa at 6 p.m. will be a part of SAIL's Mental Health Game Initiative, which was created to increase conversation and awareness around the importance of student-athlete mental health.

Beginning in the 2018 spring seasons, OU Athletics programs have been participating in this student-athlete-designed initiative that is specifically catered to the individual sport and informed by feedback from those sport-specific student-athletes. The week prior to the Mental Health Games, student-athletes will have the opportunity to meet with staff members from Psychological Resources for OU Student-Athletes (PROS) to discuss identified topics, increase awareness regarding the importance of taking care of mental health, and learn self-care and communication strategies to promote overall wellness in self and others.

"Mental health is a very real issue and we, as student-athletes here at Oklahoma, want to take that first step of breaking the stigma," said Nicole Mendes, SAIL president and OU softball junior. "We want to help other student-athletes understand that you don't always have to 'have it all together.' Then, we can work toward taking the next steps to promote overall well-being."

SAIL's initiative is in conjunction with a larger mental health awareness campaign spearheaded by the Big 12 Conference.

"We are excited to highlight the importance of student-athlete mental health this week," said Dr. Dolores Christensen, PROS licensed psychologist. "Our SAIL leaders have shown incredible initiative and enthusiasm in prioritizing this kind of outreach and awareness-building in the greater OU community. We hope that this initiative can encourage everyone to practice more effective and meaningful ways to support and take care of each other."

On Wednesday, the Sooners will wear green during their competition to create awareness and represent their support of breaking the stigma associated with reaching out to others for mental health support. There will be bright green wristbands for the first 1,000 fans, and fans attending the game are encouraged to wear green as well.