LAFAYETTE — High school student sections and basketball players from Central Catholic and West Lafayette declared themselves allies for one night in support of Mental Health Night.
Members from both schools united by the Bring Change To Mind club wore green and donned blue and green towels to bring attention to mental health issues among teenagers.
Senior guard Mikey Stapleton, a Bring Change to Mind member, shared his experience with mental health. Nearly 35% of athletes in America suffer from stress, eating disorders, burnout, or depression and anxiety, according to Athletes for Hope.
“We’re trying to address mental health because it affects a lot of people,” Stapleton said. “It’s a problem that everyone kind of keeps to themselves. But we want to address it and make it so everyone can come together.”
Suicide was the No. 2 cause of death between 10-14 years old in the U.S. and third leading cause of death between the ages of 15-24, according to the National Alliances on Mental Illness, as of late 2025.
Which is why Stapleton is taking steps to make more people in his generation feel heard.
“It happens more to our generation,” Stapleton said. “I think a big part of it is the cell phones. We tend to lock ourselves in our rooms isolated and that can lead to depression. It’s good that we were able to come together and send a message.”
The message was larger than the game itself that ended in a 69-50 victory for West Lafayette.
Senior Ben Werth scored 31 points and was 7 for 10 from 3-point range while sophomore Jaece Vogt scored 20 points and sophomore forward Calvin Snyder grabbed 16 rebounds for West Lafayette (15-4).
Stapleton scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, junior Jackson Newkirk scored 11 points and sophomore Joey Metzger led with 15 points for Central Catholic.
But on a night when the matchup was as close as four points between the two foes, Central Catholic and West Lafayette played for something greater.
Unity. And a voice that collectively was sent amongst friends and family that they weren’t alone.
“Mental health is something that often gets overlooked and I’m glad we were all able to come together,” Werth said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicide thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 988 to speak with a trained crisis specialist.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: West Lafayette and Central Catholic unite for Mental Health Day
Reporting by Ethan Hanson, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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