HOW good are country football-netball clubs!
Not only do they provide a fun, fitness and a social outlet for the youth of their towns and districts, and engagement for the parents, friends and supporters, but they’re increasingly taking responsibility for change in their communities.
Last Thursday night, after well-attended training sessions on the ground and the netball court, the whole Leongatha Football Netball Club, from 16s through to seniors, stayed around for dinner and a free mental health and suicide prevention workshop.
And it's worth noting that there's plenty of support around for these types of initiatives with neighbouring footy club and close rivals Wonthaggi Power 'liking' the post on Facebook promoting the event.
The guest speaker was Sean Phillip, the founder of The Shaka Project which was created in January 2019 with one goal in mind - ignite the conversation. And that’s certainly what Sean did.
By his own admission, parts of the presentation were tough to hear, like the fact that there are nine suicides every day across Australia, 63-a-week of which 44 are men and alarmingly we’re losing more 18, 16 and even 14 year olds, according to Sean.
“My story starts at 12 years of age. Dad sat me and my brother down and told us he was sick. We had just lost our grandmother to cancer, and I thought he was going to tell us that he had cancer as well. I was worried. But he told us he had depression. He was on medication and seeing a special doctor but he told us it wasn’t going to take him, so I just got on with my life. The only thing I heard from that conversation was that he wasn’t going to die from it.
“But as time went on it destroyed my relationship with my father. Mum and dad divorced, and he got progressively worse. He didn’t come to my games, I didn’t see that spark in his eyes and by 15, I hated depression, it had destroyed our family.
“At age 16, it took over my life too. I started to see these same things happening to me.
“I realised it was happening to me but that was 18 years ago at a time when there was no one talking about mental health. I realised my dad had given me and my brother the greatest gift. I realised I could talk about it and go and get some help. I realised at last how important that initial conversation was.
“I realised how important it is to talk about it because it can quite literally save a life.
“For people suffering with mental health, it’s not just as simple as seeing a doctor and getting medication. It’s something you live with, struggle with every day and at times I go into a crisis mode.
“I just want to talk about this because a lot of people are in crisis mode as we sit here right now. They have made the decision to self-harm, to commit suicide. I have made attempts on my life too but I’m not going into that. I am going to tell you what I wish I had known at the time, that just four words could save your life - your future needs you. I’m lucky to be here today but if I could go back there, I wish I could have known that.
“It’s at this point I always show a photo of my daughter. It’s a photo of her when she was a lot younger, which she always tells me about, but she loves to make people laugh. If you are ever in that position, you need to remember, your future needs you to stay.”
Sean spoke about recognising the signs of a developing depression crisis among family and friends; change of habits, change of personality, dropping out, not engaging and the importance of taking the initiative to say something.
He also noted that drugs, drinking and gambling were three of the key drivers of crisis for those already having difficulty with depression.
The key takeaway from the night was check on your mates and be prepared to start the conversation if you think something’s not right. It might just save a life.
The night was free but the Shaka Project relies on donations and the sale of conversation-starting merchandise to spread the word at sporting clubs, schools and community organisations. Go to https://theshakaproject.com/
And just remember, you matter, and your stuff matters.
Towards the end Sean urged attendees to set up their own support networks of people they can call, and who can call them when needed.
And for those times when you don't want to talk about it to a friend, or to seek professional support from a doctor, he reminded everyone of the agencies offering support services 24/7.
For support with depression, several agencies in Australia offer confidential and professional assistance. Lifeline (13 11 14) provides 24/7 crisis support, while Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) focuses on depression, anxiety, and related disorders. MindSpot (1800 61 44 34) offers online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression. Additionally, Medicare Mental Health (1800 595 212) can connect you with local services.
* Lifeline: Offers 24/7 crisis support via phone (13 11 14), text (0477 13 11 14), and online chat.
* Beyond Blue: Provides 24/7 support via phone (1300 22 4636) and online chat.