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Upper St. Clair girls raise funds and awareness for NAMI

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 4 min read
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Upper St. Clair girls soccer players hold up signs after participating in the annual NAMI Walk. Their written messages were of hope to end the stigma regarding mental illness and to raise awareness.

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Upper St. Clair soccer players show off the specially-designed shirts they wore to participate in the annual NAMI Walk. The event raised nearly $4,000 for the organization that raises awareness and offers support for those with mental illnesses.

Upper St. Clair girls soccer practices and games are no walk in the park. So a stroll in Boyce Mayview Park proved a respite for the players.

“Walking a mile is nothing,” senior midfielder Elle Snyder said. “This was easy for us. A nice break. Definitely different.”

The steps the Panthers took along the paved path around the recreation center Sept. 13 certainly made a difference for National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI).

During the Keystone PA’s annual NAMI Walk, the Panthers raised $3,835. As their fundraising efforts continue through October, they appear poised to exceed last year’s $4,083 donation to the organization that offers help and hope for children, adolescents, adults and families affected by mental illness.

“The event went really well,” said Snyder. “Outside of fundraising, the main goal is education and understanding what NAMI is doing and how important mental health is. When the light bulb goes off, it’s really cool to see how inspired and affected the players become once they educate themselves.”

As a freshman, Snyder became aware of and involved in NAMI. She brought in speakers to address mental health issues with her team. She founded the wellness committee at the high school. She received the NAMI Keystone PA’s Mental Health Leadership award in 2020.

“It’s about breaking down the stigma and misconception associated with mental illness, educating as many as we can,” Snyder said.

Snyder said she feels mental health is as important as physical health. She believes an entire course in school would provide better education, but added she has found her teammates to be an inspiration.

As team captain, players seek her counsel. They even nicknamed her “friend therapist.”

“They come to me for all types of things,” she said. “With the older players, there is a special bond that goes beyond just being teenagers and for some of the younger players, they were super stressed and worried about tryouts. So I tried to be comforting. That’s made an impact.”

Snyder said NAMI provides resources to cope with all feelings, especially those experienced by teenagers, like depression and anxiety. She also indicated while in school, students’ own behavior can cause self worth issue, especially when bullying, particularly though social media, is thrown into the mix.

Snyder said there are “a million answers” to how young adults can cope. What works for one person may not be the right answer for another. She said she listens to music to alleviate stress. She talks things out with her friends. She says she is able to “communicate” how she feels.

Plus, she’s active.

“It’s complicated but just as important to identify what keeps you mentally fit and ID things about you that are helpful,” Snyder said.

“By making sure I’m keeping my relationships healthy and where I want them to be, brings my personal happiness. Honestly, being physically fit, clears my head. Playing soccer and being with my teammates helps too,” she said.

The NAMI Walk provided a different way of doing just that for Snyder. The event was held completed virtually, instead of being held in Monroeville, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Normally it’s a big event, but this year it was just with the team,” Snyder said. It was fun in different ways. The change of scenery was nice and it provided more team bonding.”

For Snyder, too, it provided an opportunity to further educate family and friends.

“Mental health is important and NAMI is doing incredible things,” she said. “I hope people continue to educate themselves and those around them about the challenges. It’s so important to alway be doing that.”

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