<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3YDyjX_1GwowhH300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3YDyjX_1GwowhH300" width="1200" height="902" ><figcaption>Hackley Girls Varsity Field Hockey wins their Morgan’s Message game against the Rye Country Day School 4-2 for the first time in 11 years. Varsity coach Jenny Leffler also made sure the little-big sister dynamic was ongoing specifically for the Morgan’s Message game: “I wanted to make sure that [the younger players] have a built-in buddy on the team,” said Ms. Leffler. (Photo courtesy of Harlo Navas).</figcaption></figure>Have you ever felt upset after a bad game? After an injury? According to research from Springer Nature, student-athletes are more prone to mental health struggles than non-athletes. Hackley is aiming to combat the negative stigma surrounding athlete mental health through its affiliation with Morgan’s Message.Morgan’s Message is an organization dedicated to Duke lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers. Just before Morgan’s sophomore season, she tore her ACL. As a result, her mental health plummeted, and she lost all of her self-worth. As everything in her life appeared to be going south, she unfortunately took her life at age 22.Senior Gemma Lasky initially brought the organization to Hackley through the course Service Leadership for Social Impact. As a serious soccer player who’s one of Hackley’s varsity captains and committed to play division one soccer at Cornell, Gemma has had her own battle with mental health.“Athlete mental health is really important to me,” she said, “I wish I’d done something about it sooner.”MS/US Modern Languages Teacher and Director of Community Engagement &amp; Service-Learning Emily DeMarchena helped Gemma bring Morgan’s Message to Hackley.Prior to Gemma’s involvement, there was already a pre-existing club. However, the connection between the school and the organization was practically non-existent. They existed in name only, and did little to support the actual cause.Starting in the spring and through the summer in 2025, Gemma worked alongside the other leaders of the Morgan’s Message club (senior Rami Ibrahim and juniors Cadey Mook and Pia Serverin) to make sure the connection to the organization was strong.“I feel like we’re now genuine partners,” said Ms. DeMarchena.Part of Hackley’s affiliation with Morgan’s Message is every sport dedicating one game to the organization. As captain of the Hackley Girls Varsity Soccer team, Gemma gave a speech to honor Morgan’s life and explain the purpose of Morgan’s Message. They had their dedication game on September 18th against Horace Mann, which they won 5-0. Freshman Chloe la Fleur scored three goals, and Gemma scored two.“I thought [the game] was really great,” said Gemma.Hackley Girls Varsity Field Hockey had their Morgan’s Message game on September 23rd. This game was monumental for Hackley’s Field Hockey program, as it was the first time they beat the Rye Country Day School in over ten years. The score was 4-2. Senior Morgan Begley scored two goals alongside junior Gracie Eleck and sophomore Bridget Frazier, each with one goal.“[Before the game] we gathered in the center with the other team and read a speech that Morgan’s Message does,” said varsity field hockey coach Jenny Leffler, “It was an awesome game.”Dedicating a game to Morgan’s Message helped the team get hyped before the game. The excitement was not only from the players, but also from the parents, who were equally as enthusiastic.“It was definitely a rallying point for us,” said Ms. Leffler, “The parents were there supporting, maybe we have a little bit more [of an audience] because of that.”Hackley Girls Varsity Tennis played The Brearley School for their Morgan’s Message game on October 2nd. They won their match 5-3 with singles wins from juniors Lili Kanev and Farah Goods, freshman Tennyson Raby, and sophomore Sam Sarro. Freshman Jagger Sacks and sophomore Sage Sarro won doubles. The team won the Ivy League Championship and is now moving on to compete in the NYSAIS tournament.“We had Morgan’s Message shirts and bracelets,” said junior varsity tennis player Cornelia Gruenberg, “I feel like Morgan’s Message is important because it highlights mental health in athletes, which is not focused on enough.”Hackley Boys Varsity Soccer played their dedicated game on October 14th against Horace Mann. Unfortunately, they lost 3-0. The Hackley Varsity Football team wasn’t able to dedicate a game to Morgan’s Message because of scheduling complications. Hackley athletics is working on a game dedication for their 2027 season.With Morgan’s Message gaining more recognition throughout the Hackley community, coaches have had time to stop and think about the mental health of their players.“Being able to know that other people are supporting you is a big part of why I love team sports,” said Ms. Leffler.The rising awareness of Morgan’s Message has not only impacted coaches, but also teachers and advisors; for example, Ms. DeMarchena, who is now more conscious of the mental health of her students.“I’m learning to be really mindful of my advisees or my students when they have an injury and realize, yes, they’re physically hurt, but there are a whole bunch of other things present in their mind,” said Ms. DeMarchena.The commotion surrounding Morgan’s Message at Hackley has caused everyone to pay more attention to the mental health of athletes in the community. Look out for more Morgan’s Message games in the upcoming winter and spring seasons.</div></body>

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Have you ever felt upset after a bad game? After an injury? According to research from Springer Nature, student-athletes are more prone to mental health struggles than non-athletes. Hackley is aiming to combat the negative stigma surrounding athlete mental health through its affiliation with Morgan’s Message. Morgan’s Message is...

Hackley Supports Morgan’s Message Through Varsity Athletics

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Have you ever felt upset after a bad game? After an injury? According to research from Springer Nature, student-athletes are more prone to mental health st

Hackley Supports Morgan’s Message Through Varsity Athletics

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