One year ago, senior Maddie Boone was attending her soccer match when she spotted a team with a unique jersey; it featured the 988 Suicide and Crisis lifeline number across it, in support of their campaign “This Jersey Can Save a Life.” Boone was instantly inspired to create a similar resource for local athletes and has since worked alongside the Suicide Prevention Youth Action Team to create a tag that will attach to athletes’ bags with mental health resources.
As the leader of the Bring Change to Mind club and a student-athlete, she recognizes that mental health is commonly undiscussed and wants to provide a concept accessible to players.
The bag tag features the 988 Suicide and Crisis lifeline number on one side and the “Find Your Way” QR code on the other. The QR code leads to the “Help Compass Marin 9 to 25” resource guide, a place of information and extra resources for mental health assistance.
The 988 Lifeline operates 24/7 and is accessible by call or text. It is not just a support line for people who feel suicidal, but for anyone in a bad headspace or who simply needs someone to listen and help.
Athletic culture is formed around the mindset of “being tough” and not showing any weaknesses. This includes a negative stigma around asking for help and admitting that challenges can be unmanageable. This mindset can push down extreme feelings and lead to potentially serious mental challenges.
“The more we talk about mental health, the more we realize everyone struggles and that there is help available.”
Maddie Boone
Senior
Mental health is not a popuar subject that everyone is comfortable sharing and Boone believes that the placement of the 988 bag tags will bring this struggle to light.
“The more we talk about mental health, the more we realize everyone struggles and that there is help available,” Boone said.
In 2020, the Suicide Hotline phone number was officially changed to three digits (988) as opposed to the original ten. This made communication simpler and more accessible due to the inconvenience of memorizing a complex phone number.
The first round of tags has been officially distributed to spring athletes in select Marin County high schools, including San Marin. Due to positive feedback, the goal is to get them distributed to all Marin high schools in the near future.
