Psychological well being sources will likely be obtainable throughout the Rivulettes sport on the Preston Auditorium on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.
When the Cambridge Rivulettes faceoff in opposition to the Kitchener-Waterloo Rangers of their U22 Ontario Ladies’s Hockey Affiliation sport on Jan. 27 there will likely be extra on the minds of the group than wins and losses.
The regional rivals will likely be becoming a member of forces within the Rivulettes Workforce Up for Psychological Well being sport in help of the Waterloo Area Suicide Prevention Council.
The impacts of psychological well being are nothing new to the OWHA or the Rivulettes.
In 2010 when Daron Richardson, the daughter of former Nationwide Hockey League participant Luke Richardson, died by suicide in Ottawa, the Do It For Daron charity was fashioned.
The charity’s mission of making consciousness, inspiring conversations and reworking youth psychological well being has been supported by the OWHA ever since.
The Rivulettes started operating psychological well being initiatives a number of years earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic and will likely be doing so for the primary time post-pandemic on Friday evening.
“Our key aim is to lift consciousness about psychological well being and help those that are combating it,” Rivulettes basic supervisor Rob Hedges stated.
“The households and workers of the Rivulettes have seen the struggles of our younger folks and specifically what COVID isolation has carried out. We wish to increase funds to help the vital work that the WRSPC does by offering schooling, coaching and group engagement initiatives using suicide prevention and optimistic life promotion messaging.”
The Rivulettes stroll the stroll on the subject of psychological well being. Except for the annual fundraiser, the crew has a psychological well being coach that the gamers can entry 24/7 in the event that they want somebody to speak to.
The coach additionally helps gamers with their strategy to the sport, tips on how to put together and most significantly tips on how to take care of setbacks and efficiency.
Similar to athletic trainers are wanted to assist in the restoration of bodily accidents, a coach is a necessity for psychological well being, Hedges says.
“It is no totally different if the participant harm their knee or their shoulder, their well-being each bodily and mentally is a serious precedence for us,” he stated.
“We are able to educate hockey on the ice however with out bodily and psychological well-being, there is no hockey.”
It’s all a part of the group’s effort to be a secure, welcoming place for his or her athletes. It’s a facet of sports activities Hedges has seen develop over the previous a number of a long time.
“I feel we’ve seen enhancements in consciousness,” Hedges stated.
“Extra folks speaking about psychological well being means it turns into regular, which additionally signifies that extra folks will really feel comfy reaching out once they need assistance.”
