2019 – over 3 yrs ago, WNBA Player, Liz Cambage, came out w an article in TPT – stating that there should be a designation on the score sheet for players who don’t play bc of MH challenges – “DNP – MH.” I shared that from our original post (➡️slide).
I’d been a proponent of this concept ever since I got sick & then went on my healing journey. A peek behind the curtain – leagues like the NBA & others in pro sports were afraid to acknowledge MH for some time. That’s not to damn them. It was a diff era.
Leagues were fearful that guys who signed 4-5, & even longer term deals, would take days off at a time (practices & even games), “claiming” MH.
I got it. Kinda. There were def players who (unrelated to MH) coasted for the first few yrs of their contracts) & then only played up to ability in their “contract year.” But is that a reason not to give this designation of “DNP – MH”?
Even if ure just looking at production- think of all the athletes it COULD help. Give them days & time not to burn out. Not to end up like an Andrew Luck or the long list of athletes who went into early retirement: or worse, we lost to overdose & other means.
According to this SF Chronicle article, The NBA & its players’ unions are now considering a significant step: adding a MH rating to its official injury report. This possibility was discussed in CBA talks btwn the 2 sides, The Athletic’s Shams Al-Shaaraniyya reported.
Dr. William Parham, who leads the PA’s MH efforts said: “Discussion is a sign of progress, but actually bringing it to fruition is a much more complex discussion. They really have to make sure they get this right.”
Maybe…but it’d do so much good. My old colleague at the Suns, Steve Kerr shared: “Athletes are seen as physically strong & mentally strong. So when young people realize these people, who seem to have it all & do all these amazing things under pressure, even feel vulnerable when emotional adversity comes their way…it hits us all, really.”
Two more things: ➡️MH event w the Dolphins this past wknd (more on that next post). Video ➡️of SameHere Schools program. Hope you can support on GivingTuesday. Link in Stories.
