EDITOR’S NOTE: Trigger warning: self-harm/suicide
In recognition of Global Mental Health Awareness Month, as well as Memorial Day, Sunday’s SportsCenter “SC Featured” segment will tell the story of a father and son and how they bonded over the sport of disc golf. After the father’s death by suicide, the son is carrying on the father’s name as a way to help others.
The father, formerly with the Army National Guard, had introduced his son to the sport. As time went on, life separated them, and after depression and anxiety took their toll. To honor his father, the son started “Disc for Life” to bring further awareness to suicide, depression, anxiety, and mental health conditions in general. The feature, reported by Jen Lada and produced by Vincent Coladonato and Michael O’Connor, will debut in the 8 a.m. ET hour of SportsCenter on Sunday, May 30, and re-air in other editions throughout the day.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH CONTENT
Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month in May, led by associate editor and writer Charlotte Gibson, ESPN.com has told truly impactful stories on the topic through the lens of athletes’ personal experiences. Baseball player Drew Robinson’s remarkable comeback is just one example.
In the audio file above, Gibson talks about what the project meant to her and the lasting effect she hopes it will have on others. – Melissa Rawlins
Long before George Floyd's murder, and long before Minneapolis became the epicenter of America's racial reckoning, the Minnesota Lynx have been channeling their grief into activism. They remain committed today. https://t.co/TDsBNpWg4q
— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) May 25, 2021
"If not now, when?" Dina Asher-Smith is asking an important question about the value of having open conversations about mental health. Now is the time to help people get comfortable with what feels uncomfortable in order to get support they need to heal.https://t.co/akndaDv2lu
— Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady109) May 27, 2021
In 2019, Olympic weightlifter Katherine Nye was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. My latest as-told-to essay on why her diagnosis changed her life. @TeamUSA @Olympics @espnW @espn #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth https://t.co/XNligGLo3H
— Charlotte Gibson (@TheCharlotteSue) May 26, 2021
On #MentalHealthActionDay, @MettaWorld37 opens up about his own journey and the importance of therapy.
Must read today⤵️https://t.co/ZcJCcTLCqO
— MICHAEL EHRLICH (@MichaelEhrlich) May 20, 2021
Thank you for telling this story, @jessmendoza & @espn 🙏🏻 hope it helps even just one person to realize they’re not alone in the struggle. https://t.co/mt2A9iQD1d
— Rachel Luba (レイチェル・ルーバ) (@AgentRachelLuba) May 27, 2021
An amazing follow-up here from @wyshynski on an iconic photo taken during the Vancouver Stanley Cup riot
The couple? Still together and living in Australia with their 3-year-old daughter 💙 #thegist https://t.co/RuBQdDlpgU
— The GIST Canada (@thegistca) May 26, 2021
Like a lot of things, Spygate–the football one–became larger than it was. It involved a narrow issue: from where in a stadium can/cannot a team film another team's signals. This fascinating story by @SethWickersham & @DVNJr shows how big Spygate became: https://t.co/rOj6uAhYh6
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) May 26, 2021
The final chapter of one of the most incredible comebacks in NFL history, a new extended version of Project 11 – Alex Smith’s Final Drive pic.twitter.com/518PNROkfs
— E60 (@E60) May 27, 2021
– Mike Skarka