New Ohio bill looks to add mental health training for coaches

MASON, Ohio (WKRC) - Simone Biles put mental health under the spotlight during the Olympics. Now, after two high school lacrosse players committed suicide in the last year, an Ohio coach is hoping he can put a bigger spotlight on mental health statewide with a new bill.

“Well, I mean, it branches back a very, very long time," said Justin Miller.

Miller is a former Moeller lacrosse and baseball player whose mental health has always been an open topic of discussion in his family.

“On the very first day of preschool, I made myself throw up in the car so I didn’t have to go,” Miller said.

For a long time, Miller’s anxiety defined him. He struggled silently while excelling at sports.

“It’s very rewarding to put so much into something and to have success in that, so I enjoyed that aspect of it, but it is a lot of pressure," he said.

That pressure, or struggle with mental health issues, has led two high school lacrosse players across the state to commit suicide.

Matt Triplet has gotten that call -- one that terrifies most coaches to receive.

“One of his friends at another school actually found his note that had a plan written out in it,” Triplet said.

The head lacrosse coach at Columbus De Sales, Triplet previously went through crisis response training because, as a high school and travel team lacrosse coach, he interacts with a lot of athletes.

“One of the questions we ask in a crisis situation is, 'Are you thinking of hurting yourself?' Or, 'Do you have a plan to kill yourself?' Or, 'Are you going to kill yourself?'” Triplet said. “If I had not gone through the exercise at school, I would not feel comfortable asking it to a person in a crisis-type of situation.”

He knows most coaches aren’t sure what to do in that situation.

“So, if a kid comes to me, I can’t say, 'Well, I’m not as good at this,'” Triplet said.

He worked with Ohio state Rep. Mike Loychik to draft legislation that would require coaches to receive mental health training and present proof of that training to the Ohio Department of Education.

The bill drew interest from Rep. Rick Carfagna, who just had a bill related to athlete health and safety pass. Carfagna is a De Sales alum whose daughter plays lacrosse. He also cares deeply about mental health, always wearing a butterfly pin on his suit coat. The pin supports Nationwide Children's Hospital's mental health work.

Triplet wants to be clear: He doesn’t want to make coaches mental health experts, just give them some tools.

Steve Graef is a sports psychologist and a member of the 2002 Ohio State national championship team. Graef understands a coach may feel like he’s out of his league, so he said to look at a psychological injury like a physical one.

“If one of your athletes just broke their leg, you wouldn’t say, ‘Hey go cart yourself over to the hospital and go have surgery. I don’t want to deal with it,’” Graef said. “You wouldn’t do that. You would stay there with that athlete to ensure that they’re alright. That they’re safe. That there’s not any potentially damaging things in the area until help has arrived.”

Miller said athletes often seek out coaches because they are around them for so many hours of their life, but they aren’t their parents.

“Someone who is sort of detached from your main structure of life that can be one of the best persons to talk to,” Miller said.

Triplet is excited House Bill 492 has been introduced. It would require school athletic coaches to complete mental health training.

“If some coach thinks that it’s a barrier to getting into the field of coaching, then I have to ask why are you coaching?” Triplet said. “Is it about the wins and losses or is it about the kids?”

It's training that could transform just one life, and to Triplet, one life makes all the difference.

Local 12 recently followed another athlete health and safety bill for two years that was signed into law last month by Gov. Mike DeWine. Carfagna was a co-sponsor on that law that will update the practice act for athletic trainers.