Grant Sheridan hopes a new mental health program adopted by the KIJHL moves hockey away from a past he regrets having been part of.

The Kelowna Chiefs general manager was at the league91裸聊视频檚 meeting Sunday in Castlegar to pitch the initiative, which will establish peer-to-peer support ambassadors in locker rooms, as well as connections to community services for players, on all 20 teams in the league.

Sheridan said he thinks the program is a long time coming.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a little bit old school and unfortunately I come from the suck-it-up era, which is wrong,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淏ut I91裸聊视频檝e had, in the last six months alone, three kids come to me with what I91裸聊视频檇 deem pretty serious issues,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of these kids won91裸聊视频檛 go to certain places because of age differential or fear. If three kids are prepared to come to me, there91裸聊视频檚 a lot more out there.91裸聊视频�

MindRight was created three years ago by Chiefs forward Myles Mattila, who doubles as a mental health advocate.

Mattila91裸聊视频檚 work came about after a teammate confided in him that he was suffering. Mattila told his coach, who responded by cutting the player from the roster.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think [the coach] really understood how serious that circumstance was,91裸聊视频� said Mattila. 91裸聊视频淢y friend needed some help, he needed someone to talk to, he needed to seek out some supports.91裸聊视频�

Mattila said the goal of the program will be to create a culture that encourages discussion in locker rooms. A MindRight phone app is also being planned, which will allow more reticent players to seek out services on their own.

91裸聊视频淲hat we91裸聊视频檙e trying to do is start this conversation and allow these hockey players to have a free and a safe environment to talk about mental health.91裸聊视频�

The program is similar to Breakout, an initiative started by then Nelson Leafs assistant coach Sean Dooley in 2016, albeit bigger in scope.

Dooley, who has spoken previously about his struggles with addiction, thinks the peer-to-peer model will be successful in the locker room.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a little bit easier to talk to a friend or a peer than it would be to talk to someone in a position of authority, especially someone you are trying to impress,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淭he last thing you want is to lose your position on the team because they don91裸聊视频檛 think you have what it takes mentally, and nine times out of 10 that91裸聊视频檚 not the case.91裸聊视频�

Sheridan said he thinks MindRight will be especially important in smaller municipalities where access to mental health services might be limited.

91裸聊视频淓ven if we have a kid in Beaver Valley who has the same problems as a kid in Vancouver, he91裸聊视频檚 got to be able to talk to somebody comfortably on his team, which would hopefully be staff or this ambassador,91裸聊视频� said Sheridan.

91裸聊视频淔rom there that ambassador can hook him up with Myles91裸聊视频� If it91裸聊视频檚 serious enough to get him to Myles, and Myles can get him to a life coach, he doesn91裸聊视频檛 have to be in Beaver Valley. But we don91裸聊视频檛 want to exclude that kid.91裸聊视频�

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tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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