“Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.” - The Architect (The Matrix, 1999)

As a sports official I am intimately acquainted with the ignorance of others. From not knowing the rules or the history of the game, to an almost comical inability to think beyond the short term: the clearest example of which is demolishing a weaker team with the starters until the final horn. Sure, the stronger team wins in that game, but will likely lose in the postseason because no other players on the depth chart were developed.

Ignorance abounds in life as it does in sports. What I do not stand for in either realm is the deliberate dismissal of correct information due to personal opinion. This is of little concern during a game, the stakes are low. They rise to the stratosphere, however, when people, especially leaders, ignore the facts because the facts do not fit into their worldview.

• Young people report ever-rising levels of stress.

• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for those aged 15-34. (AFSP - Suicide Statistics)

• These deaths are largely preventable.

You must understand this: ignorance stood me on stool.

The knowledge that I was likely going to die slowly and painfully, stepped me back onto solid ground.

I studied suicide while I was suicidal. Not for tips, but because that is how I approach anything I don’t know - I research. I needed to know what the statistics were. How likely my chosen path of self-destruction would result in my death. The answers were not encouraging, and they were far from guaranteed. I had one hard-and-fast rule: no one else could be at risk of injury as a result of my attempt. That meant no jumping into traffic or off a tall building, nor intentionally crashing my car on the highway. It was important to me that no one else might get hurt as a result of my actions.

Some argue, foolishly in my opinion, that if suicide is talked about then suicide rates will increase. Here’s the problem: suicide rates are already on the rise. This is the same argument that teens will get pregnant if they hear a whisper about sex. I vehemently disagree with both arguments. Kids are treated as if they’re idiots when they’re not. If we respect that they know when things aren’t going well, and offer to help them, rather than discipline them for their feelings then we have a shot at reducing the suicide rate.

One must look to nature as it is, not as one wishes it to be, and the statistics are alarming. This is why I volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in giving their Talk Saves LivesTM: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention.

I’ll be speaking at a middle school in early 2020, and I hope to speak at many more schools and businesses throughout the coming year. If you’re a part of a school, program, or organization I invite you to click the button below and send me a message requesting a presentation. Not sure about me as a presenter? Check out the testimonials on my About page.