Sophie’s Squad Brings Mental Health Message to Target Field

The Sophie’s Squad busy season is traditionally the winter months for hockey season. While the organization has strong ties to the hockey community, the message of destigmatizing mental health conversations in athletics resonates with athletes and fans across every sport. That message was on full display last month when the Minnesota Twins hosted Mental Health Awareness Day on May 14th against the Miami Marlins.

The Twins partnered with several local mental health organizations and advocates, including Sophie’s Squad, to celebrate a crucial message spreading across the Twin Cities community. The game was the second mental health awareness event for the Twins of the month, following the team’s Together for Mental Health Day on May 2nd.

The events were part of the bigger initiative of Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Awareness Month is a nationwide campaign that aims to reduce stigma, promote wellness, and share resources regarding all things mental health.

Twins Help Remove the Stigma

Organizations like the Twins showing their support for mental health awareness are crucial for getting the message to as many people as possible. Not only does the team have a massive reach that extends beyond Minnesota, but one of the most important aspects of the mental health conversation is people’s willingness to talk openly.

Sophie’s Squad marketing coordinator, Ryan Bahl, spoke after the game about the importance of partnerships with organizations like the Minnesota Twins.

“The Twins are one of the most visible sports brands in Minnesota and the Great Lakes Region. Kids, families and fans of every kind look up to the Twins and what they stand for. Having them be a champion for mental health awareness goes a long way in advancing crucial conversations,” Bahl said. “We’re thankful to the organization not just for having us out, but for having so many great organizations from the area that want the same things we want. Greater access to mental health resources. Less stigma around those conversations.”

As part of the game, Sophie’s Squad ambassadors and volunteers ran a booth on the grounds of Target Field. The booth allowed the organization direct access to an announced attendance of 20,702 Twins fans. Sophie’s Squad distributed crucial mental health materials, promoted the organization, and interacted with fans face-to-face. While the Minnesota faithful were primarily there for the baseball, there was still great interest and support for Sophie’s Squad at the event.

The Twins also did their job, coming away with a 9-1 win on the field to cap off a great day of mental health awareness and high-level baseball.