Guiding college students to embrace mental health as a key component of success!
It's time to get rid of the discomfort of asking for help and normalize mental health as a priority for life.
Meet Mark
I have been a college hockey coach for the past 30 years. More than half of those as a Head Coach. I have been fortunate to coach some great players and many great people. I have been fortunate to have had many successes. I’ve been able to beat a lot of teams. The one thing that I wasn’t sure I was ever going to beat was Depression. It was something that I had battled (but not admitted) for more than 30 years. It was something that almost beat me January 2, 2015. Then on January 31, 2015 I finally sought help. My mission and passion since then have been to spread the word and share my story to help stop the stigma associated with this disease. I have spoke to hundreds of schools, organizations and teams.
I am not a Dr., therapist or counselor. I do not diagnose or treat individuals. My goal is to help schools and organizations create a culture that encourages people to seek help if needed. All that starts by being willing to have the conversation.
There is more information than ever out there about Mental Health, yet we continue to see increases in suicide rates. We need to create a culture that lets people know it is ok to seek help. That all starts with having the courage to have the conversation about Mental Health.
What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more
unashamed conversation.
Talks
Let's Talk.
How to start the conversation.
In this presentation I share with individuals how to have the tough conversations. There are many things we are comfortable talking about but for a lot of people Mental Health is not one of those things. What are we afraid of? How will this be perceived? I will share many of the concerns and how you can comfortably have these conversations.
Really? This doesn’t feel like the
"Best 4 Years of My Life."
In this presentation I share with students that even though people want to tell them that college is the best 4 years of your life that doesn’t mean there won’t be some tough times. When the tough times come many students feel like they are the only ones experiencing that – this is not true. I will share ways to get thru these tough times without beating yourself up.
Is that a good story or a true story?
In this presentation I challenge participants to think about “their” story. We all have experiences throughout our lives that determine the narrative that is in our head. This narrative can have enormous influence on our thoughts that can influence our emotions and our behaviors. This story can become extraordinarily strong and in tough times may become very self-destructive. Let us make sure our story is a positive one and a real one!
Suicide is the
2nd leading cause
of death amongst
college students.
Testimonials
Through inspiring and personal stories of battling depression Mark Wick has engaged our players and staff in a way that offers realistic hope. He truly understands the doubts and the fears that ooze their way into the minds of young athletes and coaches. Speaking with encouragement and empathy Mark has and will continue to make a positive difference in the world!
Don Krause
Head Coach & Development Coordinator
Minnesota Hockey HP15 (High Performance 15) Program
Marks experience and accommodating nature has been a great tool in helping our student athletes navigate the pressure and expectations they face in today's college hockey landscape.
Michael Hastings
Head Coach
Minnesota State Mankato
Articles & Podcasts
