Region 6 brackets

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Staples of Lifelong Learning include American Sign Language, Silversmithing 1 and 2, historical religious classes, Let’s Get Growing, and Basic Woodworking.

Outreach expanded their schedule this semester to add Cake Decorating and Dancing classes.

Outreach is always looking to expand programs and instructors. Follow the HutchCC Outreach Facebook page, or contact outreachinfo@hutchcc. edu or call 620-727-2791 for more information.

Health

• Continued from Page 6 a great speaker for student-athletes that offered an avenue. Mark Potter, who is a former head collegiate basketball coach at Newman University in Wichita, came and spoke to my school and he gave an emotion and experience filled talk on the impact of mental health and his own story. However, I do not see other colleges doing the same. I have many friends in college sports who have told me nothing has been offered to them in the way of mental health.

Something needs to be changed. While some mental-health clinics and organizations are trying, more needs to be done. We need to make ourselves so available that all students are not scared about opening up about their mental health. Doors need to be opened, walls need to be broken down, and lives need to be saved.

To help cure mental health, we need to offer free mental help to all studentathletes because life as a student athlete is hard. It is like a full time job while being a student. Pressures are high and expectations are high. Help our student-athletes to win this fight against mental health.

My experience with mental health as a collegiate athlete has been an upand-down ride. As a freshman heading to practice one, I was nervous and I scrutinized everything that I did. That weighed on me. I also struggled to find good friends and that did not help me because I had no one to go to when I was struggling. As my fall season went on and we started to travel, I found myself falling behind in classes and some of my professors offered no help to me. This added a whole new level of stress to education. I found myself frantically finishing assignments and stories even if I knew they were average at best because I did not care. I was just checking the boxes. When the second semester started, it just became harder. The spring baseball season was almost upon us and every pitch and play mattered even more. I found myself prioritizing only baseball, and my academics slipped out of my hands. I was losing control. I found myself up all night, losing sleep over making sure I had a good plan to check all the boxes the next day. My mental health went to levels it had never been. I was degrading myself and putting myself down. I was not eating and I had no motivation to check any boxes anymore. Once I finally had a conversation with my advisor things started to get better. I started to be more open with some of my teammates. This only happened because they made themselves available.

I point this out because it took an avenue of trust for me to overcome my own mind and open up to someone else. This is something that is lacking in collegiate athletics today. My minor case of poor mental health is just an example of what can go through the heads of student-athletes. I cannot encourage enough for people to be strong avenues and friends for people who you could think are struggling. All it takes is asking if they are OK and checking in on one of them. You never know if that simple question can spark a conversation of change for that person.