Upcoming Events
Host an Event
Golf Tournament
5k Run Walk
Get Help
10K Strong
Oct
On Saturday, September 7th, 2024 Sophie’s Squad hosted our 3rd Annual 5k Run/Walk and Golf Event at Bunker Hills Golf course in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
We were thrilled to have over 350 athletes join the Run/Walk. Most of them stayed for lunch and a mental health discussion led by Gabbie Hughes with co- host Dr. Adam Gallenberg of Premier Sports Psychology.
Gabbie shared key elements of her journey as a D1 college hockey player. Starting early in her time at UMD, Gabbie was a leader on the ice and also found herself struggling with her mental health. At a time when there was less focus on the importance of mental health, her teammates and coaches were supportive of her need to get help. Gabbie shared that it wasn’t easy, going through several providers before finding the perfect fit, but she eventually found an amazing therapist and improved mental health. According to Hughes, “the messages, ‘It’s OK to not be OK’, and ‘There’s always hope, there’s always help’ are not just slogans on Sophie’s Squad sweatshirts, they are important messages for every athlete to hear”.
Thanks to organizations like Sophie’s Squad, Dr. Gallenberg is noticing that more athletes are focused on their mental health.
“The good news is athletes are normalizing seeking support for their mental health and treating it more like they do physical health. This can look different for each athlete with some feeling the need to improve their mental health due to a range of concerns, while others are looking at mental health as a way to improve performance” (Dr. Gallenberg)
Wherever an athlete is on the mental health spectrum, awareness that there is help available is key.
The evening dinner was highlighted by a mental health discussion with special guests Mark Wick and Paul Martin. They addressed the over 250 golfers and Sophie’s Squad supporters, sharing the importance of starting the conversation around mental health while highlighting some of the unique impacts on athletes.
Sophie’s Squad continues to see increasing support for our mission of spreading mental health awareness to youth athletes. This year’s event set a record for number of participants in the Run/Walk, number of golfers, and funds raised to support our cause.
Thank you to all who supported, attended, participated, and volunteered. We could not have done this without you.
Gabbie Hughes leads the Ambassador Program for Sophie’s Squad. She is also a forward with the Ottawa Charge of the PWHL and played college hockey at the University of Minnesota Duluth. While at UMD she was a finalist for the Patty Kazmier award for the best Collegiate Women’s Hockey Player and the 2022 Hockey Humanitarian Award Winner.
Dr. Gallenberg joined Premier Sport Psychology in 2019, where he works with athletes across all ages and sports focusing on addressing mental wellness as a spectrum of development. To learn more please visit https://premiersportpsychology.com/
Paul Martin is co-founder of Shine A Ligh7 Foundation. https://www.shinealigh7.org/ Growing up playing for Elk River High School, Paul went on to play hockey for the Minnesota Gophers, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks. He was also named to three U.S.A. Olympic Teams, participating in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.
Mark Wick coached college hockey for 30 years and today is a passionate mental health speaker and advocate. More about his story can be found at https://www.markwickspeaking.com/
