The Greater Toronto Hockey League and Movember have announced today that the partnership, originally established in 2018, will continue through the 2022-2023 season.
The partnership will focus on Movember: Breaking the Ice mental health training for GTHL players, parents and/or guardians, coaches, and officials. Through the Breaking the Ice program delivered by Movember, athletes will learn how to start conversations around mental health, recognize warning signs and develop the skills to help a friend or teammate out who might be experiencing challenges in their life. Parents and guardians will learn how to better recognize, understand, and manage mental health struggles in their family, including how to start a conversation when something may be wrong and a deeper understanding of the support channels available.
For coaches and officials, the Breaking the Ice program will help individuals understand, recognize, and manage mental health concerns among athletes while gaining important skills to underpin youth mental health. It will help coaches and officials recognize the warning signs of mental health struggles and learn how to start a conversation with players and/or parents, while gaining a stronger understanding of their own mental health with knowledge of support channels available.
“We’re extremely excited to be continuing our partnership with the GTHL,” said Shannon Nix, Canadian Program Implementation Manager for Movember: Breaking the Ice. “Through this partnership, we’ll be able to offer Breaking the Ice mental health training to more young players, families, and coaches across the GTA throughout the 2022-23 season, and in doing so, can shine a brighter light on the importance of mental health support in the sporting world.”
Previously in the partnership, the GTHL and Movember worked together to deliver a variety of services to the community, specifically through the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, Movember collaborated with GTHL alumni and Canadian Sport Psychology Association professional Joshua Hoetmer for a virtual panel to discuss tips for resilience to help with challenges and adversity both on and off the ice.
Additionally, the GTHL in partnership with Movember have hosted Breaking the Ice sessions for coaches.
“Now more than ever, we need to equip leaders in sports to help children and youth navigate mental health concerns,” said Scott Oakman, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the GTHL. “The extension of our partnership with Movember will allow us to provide much needed information directly to coaches, managers, and trainers so they can support players who are experiencing these very real mental health challenges. We are so proud to be able to partner with them in order to continue to make progress in normalizing the mental health conversation.”
Beyond training, Movember will continue to deliver mental health related information and resources for the GTHL community.
About Breaking the Ice
Breaking the Ice uses hockey to teach athletes, parents, and coaches how to talk about mental health. The program reviews how to recognize mental health issues, what to do and when to get help. Athletes learn how to build resilience and overcome challenges in hockey and life. Learn more at breakingtheice.ca.
About Movember
Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The charity raises funds to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programs that enable men to live happier, healthier, and longer lives. Committed to disrupting the status quo, millions have joined the movement, helping fund over 1,250 projects around the world. In addition to tackling key health issues faced by men, Movember is working to encourage men to stay healthy in all areas of their life, with a focus on men staying socially connected, and becoming more open to discussing their health and significant moments in their lives. The charity’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. To donate or to learn more, please visit Movember.com.
About the Greater Toronto Hockey League
Founded in 1911, the GTHL is a non-profit organization and the largest minor hockey league in the world. The GTHL registers more than 40,000 annual participants in Markham, Mississauga, Toronto, and Vaughan. The purpose of the GTHL is to govern organized hockey for youth within its jurisdiction, and to foster participation that reflects the cultural demographic of the League’s territory while promoting an environment that is welcoming and inclusive for all participants.
For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Coratti | Manager, Communications and Marketing
Greater Toronto Hockey League
