Madison Reporter

Wisconsin student-athletes convened this week to discuss the issue of mental health among athletes and try to make it a more socially acceptable topic. 

"Badger student-athletes both past and present gathered at Union South on Tuesday night for an open discussion about mental health," a WMTV news report said this week. "The event, 'Tackle the Stigma,' was UNCUT Madison’s first in-person event, and invited the Madison community to have a casual conversation about a series topic."

The report also detailed the athletes who attended.

Former UW running back Montee Ball, former UW linebacker Chris Borland, current Badger soccer player Emma Jaskaniec and former Wisconsin Director of Sports and Clinical Psychology Dr. Kris Eiring all participated in the panel discussion, the news report said. 

Other athletes also had praise for the event.

“It is such a pressing issue especially in our student athlete community," Lisa Gregorski, a UW volleyball player, told WMTV. "All the stuff that weighs on you as a student athlete it takes a toll. We’re human, we’re not our statistics, we’re not our jersey numbers and we are all trying our very best.”

“People look at us as entertainment all the time and when it’s not going well it can really piss you off and that’s fair, everyone has feelings everyone has emotions," UW quarterback Graham Mertz said. "For me it’s understanding that all of that stuff is gonna come, the good bad and ugly. It can either drain you or you can learn from it and grow from it.”

There are ways that anyone can get directly involved in these issues.

"100 percent of the proceeds from the event benefited the Sarah Shulze Foundation, which supports student-athletes, women’s rights and mental health," the news report said. "If you or someone you know are in crisis, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK. You can also text HELLO to 741741."