The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) is proud to announce that it has partnered with UnderstandUs for the 2019-2020 season.
Founded by Jim Demeray, UnderstandUs is a volunteer initiative that combats the stigma of mental health. UnderstandUs promotes awareness and provides education on mental health, while building relationships in the community, by challenging people to feel, think, and act differently about mental health.
Bill Chow President of the SJHL says “often times SJHL players and athletes think they have to be tough and not show emotion. Allowing our players to talk about their journeys and struggles with mental health will hopefully aide future players/athletes to break the stigma in hockey. This campaign allows our players and future players to start the conversations on and off the ice. We hope with endeavours such as this it breaks the silence and allows players to talk about their mental health”.
This partnership aligns with the SJHL’s mission of providing the best services for players as they develop on and off the ice. Mental health is an important component of player safety and development in the SJHL, and having UnderstandUs as a partner will ensure that this issue is addressed.
Jim Demeray UnderstandUs “We believe that igniting a conversation about mental health in the locker room will not only change the current reality for these players, but will set the tone of vulnerability for future players and teams. We truly believe that this topic needs leadership and watching these players stop up fearlessly is humbling”.
During the 2019-2020 season, T-Shirts will be available for purchase on the SJHL website at shop.sjhl.ca with 50% of the proceeds going to UnderstandUs.
