Kaila Pollard

The thrill. The expectations. The drive. The competition. The highs. The lows. We all gravitate to sports because of these reasons, but it takes a toll on us. That's why I'm teaming up with Morgan's Message to raise funds and awareness for their mission.

Morgan’s Message® strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. They aim to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.

As a student-athlete, mental health awareness is extremely important to me because of the amount of stress and pressure we're faced with everyday. Whether this be pressure we put on ourselves to succeed, or pressure put on us by others, it is crucial for people to understand it’s okay to reach out for support and for people to have a better understanding of what student-athletes may be going through.

To get out of a funk, I do my best to prioritize my self care and really focus on myself and finding things that make me happy. I also will lean on my support system who I know will always be there for me.

My advice to other student-athletes is to find things outside of your sport that make you happy, whether this be a new hobby or small ways to treat yourself. Along with that, remember it is okay to reach out to others for support.

A donation is not to be interpreted as an NIL activity between the donor and Kaila Pollard. Thank you!