Girl's lacrosse team spreads 'Morgan's Message'
Emerson White runs toward the goal. Photos by Kat Sheridan
Laila Costa and Tenley Simmons block an opposing player. 
Kaylie Tyler crosses sticks with an opposing player. 
Lily Gangi goes for the ball. 
A Dartmouth athletes heads toward the goal with the ball. 
Sydney Hart and Megan DaSilva give a speech about Morgan's Message. 
The booth at the stadium.
Emerson White runs toward the goal. Photos by Kat Sheridan
Laila Costa and Tenley Simmons block an opposing player.
Kaylie Tyler crosses sticks with an opposing player.
Lily Gangi goes for the ball.
A Dartmouth athletes heads toward the goal with the ball.
Sydney Hart and Megan DaSilva give a speech about Morgan's Message.
The booth at the stadium.
The Dartmouth girls varsity lacrosse team played to raise awareness of Morgan’s Message, an organization that aims to destigmatize mental health in the sports community.
Two of the girls on the team, Megan DaSilva and Sydney Hart, decided they wanted to support the organization during their game on Monday, May 4.
“I know that it’s been very important these days, especially in sports,” said DaSilva. “This takes a toll on your mental health, not only your physical health as well, and when I heard about this foundation, I thought it was perfect.”
Morgan’s Message was founded in memory of Morgan Rodgers, who died by suicide in 2019. She was a lacrosse player at Duke University, when she suffered a knee injury that forced her off the field.
According to DaSilva, Rodgers became isolated from her team, started to feel like she wasn’t meeting her potential and developed anxiety and depression.
DaSilva said that Rodgers did not communicate this to anyone in her life.
“[We’re] just playing for Morgan and the love of the sport,” Hart said. “Just the love of the sport and playing together and just trying to have fun.”
The team wore shirts stating that “Humans > Athletes.” There was a table with resources, such as information on the suicide hotline and Morgan’s Message. There was a wooden sign, made by teachers at the school, with the logo for Morgan’s Message; a butterfly with a semicolon, which was based partially on Rodger’s art.
This isn’t the first time that students have brought awareness of Morgan’s Message during games, but the lacrosse team wanted to bring attention as well.
“It was really great leadership,” said Head Coach Nicole Simas. “It was really great leadership and great, just really great, to have them stick up for something.”
