YOU’RE WATCHING WLKY NEWS. BEING A STUDENT ATHLETE IS HARD E█NOUGH, BUTTHE PRESSURES OF BEING IN THE SPOTLIGHT CAN SOMETIMES BE OVERWHELMING. SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR ATHLETE IS STRUGGLING AND WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? WLKY CARAY. GRACE EXPLAINS. STAND-OUT HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL STAR TURNED PRO RONDALE MOORE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. THE GIFTED PLAYER WAS LOVED AND ADMIRED BY SO MANY PEOPLE. SUICIDE AMONG NCAA STUDENT ATHLETES HAS DOUBLED OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND ONE LIFE LOST IS TOO MANY. THE PRESSURE TO WIN, THE PRESSURE TO RISE TO THE TOP, THE PRESSURE TO KEEP UP YOUR GRADES. SPORTS HAVE BECOME SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF MANY STUDENTS LIVES. JUST THE PRESSURE TO WIN. LIKE HOW ON THE FIELD AND OFF THE FIELD. YOU KNOW, ACADEMICALLY, THERE’S A LOT OF PRESSURE THAT THEY FACE, ESPECIALLY AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL. LAQUISHA MOORE IS A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR. SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR CHILDREN COPE WITH THE PRESSURES OF BEING AN ATHLETE. FOCUS ON POSITIVE SELF-TALK, HOW TO TALK THEMSELVES DOWN OFF THE LEDGE AND REFRAME, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGE AND REFRAME NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, NEGATIVE THINKING, AND JUST BUILD THEMSELVES UP LIKE I TEACH THEM TO BE STRENGTH BASED WITH THEMSELVES. MOORE IS ALSO ON THE BOARD OF THE 29TH AND NINTH FOUNDATION. IT’S A NONPROFIT FOUNDED BY FORMER NFL RUNNING BACK AND U OF L STAR BILAL POWELL. POWELL, WHO RETIRED FROM THE NEW YORK JETS, FOUNDED THE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE OF HIS OWN STRUGGLES WITH MENTAL HEALTH. WHEN SOMETHING’S GONE, THAT YOU FIGURE OUT AS A COPING TOOL, THEN YOU NO LONGER WANT TO PUT THESE EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS. AND I KIND OF WENT DOWN THE DARK TIME IN MY LIFE THERE FOR A WHILE, ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE I ALMOST TOOK MY OWN LIFE. POWELL SPENT NINE YEARS IN THE NFL PLAYING THROUGH INJURIES AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE CAREER. HIS MENTAL HEALTH TOOK A TOLL. AT ONE POINT, HE SAYS, HIS THOUGHTS TURNED SUICIDAL AND A PHONE CALL FROM HIS SON SAVED HIS LIFE. HE USUALLY TEXTS. SO WHEN HE CALLED ME, I FELT IT WAS A NEED TO ANSWER THAT. AND SINCE THAT DAY, THE BIGGEST MESSAGE FOR ME IS DON’T LET ONE DAY RUIN YOUR LIFE AND OTHER PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT LOVE YOU. KEEP FIGHTING AND KEEP THRIVING THROUGH THE HARD TIMES. BUT IT’S MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, SUICIDE IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR COLLEGE ATHLETES BEHIND SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST. BUT FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, THERE’S BEEN A SHARP RISE IN SUICIDES, SPECIFICALLY NFL PLAYERS, WHERE CASES HAVE DOUBLED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. WE’RE TAUGHT AS YOUNG, YOUNG, LITTLE GUYS, YOUNG ADOLESCENTS TO COME IN AND PLAY A GROWN MAN’S SPORT BECAUSE IT’S A VERY PHYSICAL SPORT FOR US, AND WE GOT TO LEARN TO BE TOUGH. WE GOT TO LEARN, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR INJURIES AND PLAY THROUGH THE HEAD INJURIES AND THE BRUISES AND THE BUMPS. AND THAT CARRIES ON NOT ONLY TO HIGHER LEVELS, BUT IT’S THE RELATIONSHIPS, THE MARRIAGES AND FRIENDSHIPS. AND YOU CLOSE OFF. IT’S HARD TO KIND OF DECIPHER THROUGH CERTAIN EMOTIONS. IT IS MORE EXPLAINS TALKING ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS IS ACTUALLY A SIGN OF STRENGTH. I’M TOUGH IS NOT ALWAYS LIKE SUPPRESSION AND, AND HOLDING THINGS DOWN BECAUSE THAT’S NEVER GOOD. YOU NEED TO GIVE THEM THE PROPER PLATFORM AND OUTLET TO REALLY SPEAK THROUGH THEIR EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS. INSTEAD OF SAYING, SUPPRESS IT, BE TOUGH, TOUGHEN UP. YOU CAN’T TALK LIKE THIS. DON’T ACT LIKE THIS. WALK IT OFF. THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT KIND OF CRIPPLE A KID AND KIND OF ALLOWS ATHLETES TO STRUGGLE IN SILENCE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 29TH AND NINTH AND HOW THEY SERVE YOUNG ATHLETES, YOU CAN FIND THIS STORY ON WLKY.COM. AND REMEMBER, HELP IS A PHONE CALL OR A TEXT AWAY.