North Middlesex Field Hockey Team Promotes Mental Health Awareness Through Morgan’s Message Game

TOWNSEND — The North Middlesex Regional High School field hockey team is reminding student-athletes that they are more than their performance on the field after hosting a Morgan’s Message Awareness Night on Monday, Oct. 26, to promote mental health awareness and encourage a culture of compassion and support throughout the school’s athletic community.

The event brought the field hockey team together to focus on the message, “Human> Athlete,” emphasizing that mental health, personal growth and connection are just as important as athletic achievement.

Morgan’s Message is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and normalizing the treatment of both mental health and physical health in athletics.

In preparation for the game, the team gathered to watch a video about Morgan’s story and learn more about the organization’s mission. The experience prompted meaningful conversations about mental health, the pressures student-athletes face and the importance of supporting one another. The team also sported Morgan’s Message shirts during warm-ups. 

For the team’s head coach Carly Shugrue, the event was an opportunity to reinforce the importance of creating an environment where every student-athlete feels seen, valued and supported, regardless of their performance and accomplishments.

The team also demonstrated that the message extends beyond the field hockey program. As part of her civics action project, Junior Bella Mazza chose to focus on Morgan’s Message because of the connection she felt to its mission. Before the game, Bella brought handmade clips featuring encouraging quotes for the opposing team from Westford Academy. After speaking to Westford’s coaches, she was also given permission to place a motivational message on each opposing player’s bag.

Bella’s leadership continued on the field, where she was named Player of the Game in recognition of her hard work and dedication. Her efforts throughout the event reflected that being a great student-athlete also means demonstrating kindness, empathy and a commitment to the well-being of others.

Through the awareness game, North Middlesex’s field hockey team hopes to encourage student-athletes across all sports to prioritize their mental health, check in on their teammates, and recognize that asking for help is a sign of strength.

By banding together for the cause, the field hockey team demonstrated how sports can serve as a powerful platform for meaningful conversations and positive change.

“By doing this event, we hope to show every student-athlete that they’re valued for who they are and not just what they accomplish in their sport,” said Head Coach Carly Shugrue. “We hope to continue building on this initiative in future seasons, encouraging even more student-athletes to embrace the mission of Morgan’s Message.” 

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