In an effort to increase awareness of mental health within the athletic community, the Colonie Girls Lacrosse program has partnered with the 15forLife foundation for the second year in a row. Led by coach Layne Woodard, the team has embraced their role as ambassadors for the foundation, highlighting the significance of mental wellness, particularly among student-athletes

The 15forLife foundation, dedicated to advocating for mental health awareness, has found a strong ally in the Colonie Girls Lacrosse team. Their efforts culminate in the upcoming Mental Matters game against Shaker High School on April 25 at 7:00 p.m., hosted at Shaker High School.

“The game serves as a platform to not only showcase the girls' lacrosse skills but also to shed light on the importance of prioritizing mental health,” said Woodard. “To further support the cause, the team is selling specially designed shirts, with all proceeds to support the 15forLife foundation. Players and coaches will sport shirts featuring the foundation's logo during the game.”

Woodard extends an invitation to the community to join in for what promises to be a competitive match and an opportunity to champion mental health awareness. This week, we sat down with Woodard and team captains Kate Bordman, Avery Connolly and Chelsea Mesick to learn more about this initiative.

Link to purchase the shirt: 15forLife Shirts - Colonie Girls Lacrosse

Q&A

Can you share the inspiration behind partnering with the 15forLife foundation for the Colonie Girls Lacrosse program?

Mental Health regarding athletes is something that isn’t widely touched on, especially in high school athletes. We as a program thought it was important to partner with a foundation that advocated for this issue because of how serious it really is and give our girls an open space to talk about anything good or bad. The Connolly family have a personal relationship with the Kavovit Family who began the 15forLife Foundation in honor of their brother Rob who died by suicide.

How has the initiative evolved since last year, and what new aspects are you incorporating this year? 
In 2024, the Colonie Lacrosse Program introduced 15 seconds for you.  This time is set aside for athletes to take some time to themselves with the goal of identifying any issues they may be struggling with.  The phrase “6 it and fix it” can be heard throughout the program.  This phrase reminds athletes to stay at a healthy physical and mental level of awareness. 

In what ways do you integrate discussions about mental health within your team's practices and games?  
In addition to the 15 minute mental health sessions that we regularly have at practice we created a way for players who may need some individual time to take it whenever necessary.  Referred to as a “mental lap” players are encouraged to remove themselves from the practice and walk around the perimeter of the practice field to mentally reset before returning to practice. 

What impact do you hope to achieve by wearing shirts featuring the foundation's logo during the game? 

The lines of communication for mental health issues in athletics have not always been open.  Athletes were coached to not show weaknesses.  The goal of this initiative is to eliminate the negative stigma associated with mental health issues and make communication a regular part of athletics. 

How have the players responded to being ambassadors for mental health awareness within the community?
The Colonie lacrosse team feels fortunate to be ambassadors to a cause as important as 15 For Life. Being a part of something that helps our teammates and community to feel more emotionally healthy is something we can be very proud of. Being ambassadors for this program will help our team be able to take advantage of mentally healthy activities like yoga that we participate in as a team.

Can you elaborate on any specific strategies or activities the team has undertaken to raise awareness about mental health among student-athletes?
As a program all our student athletes are given a 15forLife sticker that they place somewhere on their lacrosse stick to remind them of our mission and the importance of mental health and that it is okay to not be okay sometimes and that they have outlets for help. Each team also participates in 15 minute mental health talks before, during or after practice. They are grouped with different teammates each time and they and their group have 15 minutes to just talk with each other. At the Varsity level we participate in yoga classes weekly with our amazing instructor Jackie Rosenbaum and tie in the importance of our mental health in those classes. In addition to yoga our players participate in 15 seconds for you. Here they fill out a confidential form each week writing down 1 issue they are struggling with or that is bothering them in a negative way and list 5 individuals they could reach out to talk to and ask for help. 

How do you envision this partnership contributing to a supportive and inclusive environment for both North and South Colonie?
The two Colonie schools have been portrayed as rivals. Although as a lacrosse team we carry on that “rivalry” we are both big supporters of one another. Coming together for something bigger than lacrosse and bigger than winning is something that both teams look forward to. Of course we want to win but more importantly we want to bring awareness to this great cause and show support for one another. 

What message would you like to convey to the community about the importance of attending the Mental Matters game and supporting mental health awareness?
Attending the Mental Matters game will not only pay support to the 15forLife foundation, but also the two programs participating in it. This game helps to bring awareness to the importances of mental health and is aimed to bring a welcoming environment for players, parents and other spectators!

Are there any plans for future collaborations or initiatives aimed at promoting mental wellness within the Colonie Girls Lacrosse program?
As a program we plan to continue bringing awareness and expressing the importance of mental health and continue working with the 15 for Life foundation each year. Each level within our program will be educated on the importance of one’s mental health and engage in our 15 For Life activities and strategies. 

Lastly, what advice would you give to other sports teams or organizations interested in advocating for mental health awareness? 
Honestly, I would highly encourage other teams or organizations to join and bring awareness to this topic. Being a coach for the past 12 years I’ve experienced a lot but I can say working with the 15 For Life foundation has positively changed myself and our athletes and will have a lasting impact on and off the field.