AIHL Teams and Mental Health

This Saturday night in Perth is the Mental Health Awareness game hosted by the Thunder, so this article is going to take a different path to the usual stats-based content I produce.

Perth’s initiative is the latest in a collection of different moves clubs in the Australian Ice Hockey League have undertaken over the years to shine a light on mental illness and overall mental health issues. Here we will take a look at some of these events and activities. AIHL clubs have engaged in all manner of ways to raise awareness, breaking down stigmas associated with mental health, and raising funds for great organisations.

…and there will be a bunch of stats as well, because I have a problem.

Mental Health Awareness – Perth Thunder

Saturday night in Perth against the AIHL-leading Melbourne Ice, the Thunder are donning their first ever Retro jersey and raising money for HelpingMinds. They offer free support and information to people affected by mental health challenges across Western Australia. Along with support services to those living with psychosocial disability due to mental health challenges, HelpingMinds also provides support to family, friends and carers that are supporting someone with mental health challenges.

This builds on the work Perth has done in the past with events around different health-related causes, such as Donate Life in 2023 to shed some light on the challenges many people face and provide information on where to get help. Having nights like this allow the Thunder faithful to get behind a great cause and take steps to look out for each other as well.

For anyone wanting to get their hands on a Thunder Retro jersey, and support HealthyMinds – the jersey auction is open now and concludes Sunday 19 May at 12pm. Jersey winners can collect the jersey from the merch desk at a home game or arrange for delivery.

Beyond Blue Cup

The AIHL Beyond Blue Cup began in 2015 between the Canberra Brave and Adelaide Adrenaline as a means to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness – in particular depression, anxiety and suicide prevention. The goal was that by utilising the impression of hockey as a tough, physical game it could break down some of the barriers for people reaching out for help, by showing that it is not a sign of ‘weakness’.

Over the years the Beyond Blue Cup and associated promotions around it encouraged people to recognise signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety and how to look after their own mental health. There were a number of articles, information provided at the game, social media focus on different aspects. Players, coaches and staff have all been impacted by mental illness, and got involved in promoting the event each year, and achieving the goals.

The game alternated each year between being hosted in Canberra and Adelaide with the Brave winning all iterations until 2019. However, in 2020 a pandemic-inspired Mario Kart tournament was won by the Adrenaline, with a very generous (and valuable) assist from John Chen. In 2023, the Cup was contested across all four games instead of just the first game, with the Brave winning again.

Black Dog Month

In 2023, the Sydney Ice Dogs looked within and saw that mental health was an issue within the club – impacting staff, players and volunteers, especially after the COVID years. So the Dogs took the bit between the teeth, and (very aptly) partnered with the Black Dog Institute to have Black Dog Month for June. The Dogs have done plenty of community work before – especially the Matt Clark game each year, but this was their first foray into the mental health space.

During the month, a share from each ticket sale went to the Black Dog Institute, special jerseys were auctioned and promotion of ways to donate were prominent across social media. Through all of this, the Ice Dogs managed to raise over $8,000 for the Institute and start some important conversations.

Menslink

Beginning in 2017, the Canberra Brave formed an ongoing partnership with Menslink. Menslink are an organisation in the ACT that works to support and help young men. They encourage them to reach out and get help when they need it, providing counselling and running longer-term mentoring services.

The partnership started with a bang, with jersey auctions in particular raising over $13,000 in 2017, and being a fixture of each Brave season since. Members of Menslink have spoken regularly to the Brave community, and their presence is a key component of that community.

The links between Menslink and the broader Brave community are perhaps no more clearly demonstrated than through the dedicated fan group, the Cave Dwellers. This group of hockey, beer and trivia enthusiasts have been raising money for Menslink since 2019 off their own bat -to the tune of almost $14,000 in total. This has included contributing prize winning from trivia competitions (both in person, and online – especially during lockdowns), fundraising through head-shaves and other means. In 2024, this has expanded further to include raising money through can recycling at Brave games in a new and innovative way. The ongoing dedication of this group of people to help out Menslink shows how mainstreamed the organisation has become within the Brave community in Canberra – and how the sense of community that develops around a smaller sport like hockey in Australia – which is something fairly common across the league.

Gotcha4Life

In 2019 the Sydney Bears began what is still an ongoing partnership with Gotcha4Life to promote mental fitness and (initially) men’s mental health. Embracing mental health month in June, and using the Battle of Sydney as the event game. We know hockey, and hockey players, put a lot of effort into the physical fitness and physical toughness needed to play the game. This partnership provided an important opportunity to highlight how important mental fitness and mental health is as well and encourage people, especially men, to talk to each other.

Gotcha4Life are an organisation that focuses on ‘mental fitness’ and encouraging people to be open with others about their struggles so they can strengthen meaningful connections and help each other through it. The Bears saw a natural connection with these values and have forged a strong partnership with the organisation.

This initial Gotcha4Life Game in 2019 had a campaign of “I Stand With” and encouraged people to share the stories of how mental health battles had impacted themselves and those they care about. Sharing these stories helped to break down stigmas around this and to begin conversations that make a difference. In speaking to the event organiser, Bianca Musico, she recalled how powerful the impact was of sharing those stories – with fans, players and staff reaching out to state how the event has helped to start conversation, and how grateful they were.

This is an example of an event that has benefits within teams as well, as it has helped to bring playing groups together – which is a nice reminder of how valuable these events can be. 2023 saw the game return again, to more success – with the focus broadening to more than just men, encompassing the whole community. 2024 will see Gotcha4Life return again – and keep an eye on the Bears’ socials for those details as they are announced.

Why does this all matter?

This article is several hundred words long, and barely a stat involved. So that means it is now is time for some pretty sobering ones to show why events like these are so important.

1 in 5 Australians will experience mental illness in a given year.
- 3.3 million Australians have an anxiety condition at any given time
- 1.5 million have depression
Over their lifetime, half of all Australians will face a mental health challenge

All of these events, reducing stigma, encouraging people to speak up, showing where to get help, are important. Why? Because only 46% of people with mental illness access treatment. That is half the proportion of people with physical disorders.

The saddest of all these stats, and the biggest reason we need to embrace the chance to do better – 9 people in Australia take their own life every day – over 3,200 people in 2022. For people aged 15 to 44, suicide is the leading cause of death.

For any men reading this – 7 of those who take their own life each day are men. This is not because men have higher rates of mental illness than women – but for a range of other reasons, often related to not talking. A key piece of research by the Black Dog Institute[i] recognised that ‘unhelpful conceptions of masculinity’ including a reluctance to reach out for help increased men’s risk around suicide. So talking about these things is critical.

This is why these events and initiatives matter, and why adding another to the mix this weekend is a great move by the Thunder.

Important links

If you, or someone you know is struggling and you want some help – including how to have difficult conversations with people, there are a range of helpful resources at these links as well as at your GP, and through many other sources as well.