CARY, N.C. (WTVD) — Life under the Friday night lights are often just focused on winning the game. However, the game with Green Level High School and Panther Creek, the football team wanted to win the minds and hearts of their peers.
Friday night’s homecoming game was a blackout with students teachers and guests wearing black NAMI t-shirts. The game was also significant because Panther Creek, just lost a student to suicide last week.
Staff recognize teens are trying to balance activities, school work, social media, and friends.
“It can feel like a lot of pressure and so a lot of students will. The end up isolated instead of reaching out to other people,” said Green Level Teacher Chris Sponaugle.
The event was Green level’s second annual Mental Health Awareness Football game.
Last year, then senior, Austin Conway started the event to spark mental health conversations using the teams’ powerful platform.
NAMI Wake County passed out 500 resource bags with a t-shirt, journal, encouraging note, and bracelet. The group also hosted events throughout the week to share resources and information with students.
“I just know if some if one person can be helped by this, you know, it’s important. I know there are people who struggle, so even just getting one person to help,” said senior student organizer Jackson Evans.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for North Carolina youth ages 10-18.
In Wake County 14% of teens have seriously considered suicide, and 30% report persistent sadness or hopelessness, according the NAMI Wake County.
“You’re not alone in this struggle. A lot of people are dealing with mental health challenges right now. Just know that organizations like NAMI Wake County are out there to help people, to provide resources to connect you to the right kind of care that you might need,” said Mark Simon, NAMI Wake County.
The students at Green Level have taken the initiative to highlight this because they say they want to be there for the fellow students and change the narrative.
Coach Ben Woolf says seeing his players take care and leadership on such an important issue is creating change.
He explained to ABC11 why it’s important to highlight this issue.
“Just having the kids feel like somebody is there to support them regardless of who it is, where it is in the building. I mean, our admins great. You know, they’ll come on and talk about all these things. You know, if you need help, find someone to go talk to an adult, go talk to a friend. That friend can get you to where you need to get to,” he said.
To support teens mental health experts recommend encouraging eight hours of sleep nightly, support healthy social connection with peers, promote physical activity, know where they are going and who they are with, showing you care and support by being involved.
“I hope that it is not a stigma and I hope that it’s something people feel comfortable talking about and not something that we would feel ashamed of if we’re struggling with it,” said Sponaugle.
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