TAMPA — Hockey players are taught from a young age that persevering and enduring great physical pain for the sake of their team is a sign of strength.
There may also be big mental hurdles, something Nick Paul knows firsthand. The Lightning forward has spoken openly about his mental health, even as he struggled to stay on an NHL roster early in his pro career with Ottawa. He’s also happy to share his success story of how being able to open up and talk about his feelings and finding ways to deal with his anxiety got his career back on track.
“It’s really important to let people know that nobody’s perfect, especially by showing vulnerability,” Paul said. “People go through things and they may seem like everything is going well in their life, but mentally they’re not there, they’re not happy, they’re dealing with some issues.”
“Maybe something’s going on in their personal life and they’re struggling. You never know what people are going through. … It’s good for young people to say, ‘Hey, I’ve struggled with this too,’ so they can see that and think, ‘Hey, hey, I’m not alone. If they can get help and work on their mental health, I definitely can too.'”
Through his “Points by Paul” campaign, Paul is donating $150 for every point he scores to the Tampa Bay Crisis Center. On Tuesday, Paul presented the center with a check for $14,400. Paul set career highs this season with 26 goals and 48 points, bringing his total donation to $7,200. The Lightning Foundation matched Paul’s donation.
When Paul toured the Tampa Bay Crisis Center last year, he was struck by the organization’s 24-hour call center, which has seven crisis lines and receives nearly 110,000 calls a year. Many of those calls are to the center’s 988 suicide prevention hotline, which receives 30 to 50 calls a day from throughout Hillsborough and Charlotte counties.
“I thought it was great that when someone calls and says they want to kill themselves, we can talk to them, check in on them and send out rescue teams to make sure nothing happens,” Paul said.
“People don’t know what to do at the last minute and they feel like they have no one to turn to, so they make a call and it ends up saving their life. So I thought that was a great thing.”
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The Crisis Center offers regular tours of the facility, like the one Paul took, arranged through its website, crisiscenter.com.
Clara Reynolds, the center’s president and CEO, said Paul’s donation allows them to keep the lines open 24 hours a day. The center receives government grants and contracts, but still needs financial support like Paul and the Lightning are providing to keep the lines staffed.
“Our job isn’t one where you can return calls between 9-5,” Reynolds said. “We have to be available at 2 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Any time someone is in crisis, the phone rings 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and staff has to be available.”
While Paul’s financial donations are important, Reynolds said his outspokenness, both during games and posted on social media platforms, has helped to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health.
“He has a wide fan base,” Reynolds said, “and for us, not knowing who’s going to come to the game, to hear that valuable message that it’s okay to not be okay, and that’s something he’s got behind. … For someone like Nick to pick up this flag and actually hold it up and say, ‘Look, mental health matters. I’m an athlete and I acknowledge that mental health has impacted my life, and I’m proud that I reached out for help,’ was something we wanted Nick to be the face of and really take ownership of this.”
In high school, one of Paul’s lacrosse teammates committed suicide. There were no warning signs, as Paul’s friend was always cheerful, joking, and “an optimist.” It was at this point that Paul first began to pay closer attention to his friend and wanted to be someone that others could confide in.
Paul started an initiative called “Points by Paul” when he was 19 years old while playing junior hockey in North Bay, Ontario, where he connected with local hospitals and raised funds every time Paul scored a point, an initiative he continued after making it to the NHL with the Senators.
Still, as he bounced between the NHL and the minor leagues, Paul struggled with his own mental health issues, wasn’t living up to expectations and felt like a failure. He moved to Estero and adopted a new training routine that included meditation and yoga, which helped him relax and find clarity. It also allowed him to open up to his family and his future wife, Janessa.
Paul’s personal growth continues. Last season, he was one of five Lightning players to receive certification from the NHLPA, making him a player that teammates could turn to for mental health issues. Paul and his wife started attending church this year and have joined support groups there. Paul said even just praying has helped.
He hopes to continue to grow Points by Paul. People stop him on the street to thank him for what he does. Paul plans to host a ball hockey tournament in Tampa to take kids out and spread his message of talking about mental health. He hopes to expand his reach to include local veterans.
“What I’ve seen so far has made me want to expand this and continue to support it,” Paul said. “I want it to be as big as possible. Once the stigma is gone, I’ll stop.”
Need help?
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or is in mental crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or chatting online at 988lifeline.org. You can also dial 211 to connect with local nonprofits who can provide information and referrals to humanitarian organizations.
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