Especially for Athletes out to make a difference, save lives in Utah high schools

(KSL TV)


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SALT LAKE CITY — It's championship season for spring high school sports, with athletes from around the state of Utah competing for the top prize.

One organization is forming a movement to help these student-athletes use their influence for good in their communities.

Especially for Athletes is a nonprofit that has sought to teach athletes a better way to use sports to make society better, founder Dustin Smith told KSL Sports. The group focuses on addressing drug abuse, cheating and apathy in teenage life, among other stigmas, but has been known to help myriad ills.

The main two really are suicide prevention and anti-bullying efforts," Smith said. "We think that the athletes are in a unique position to lead within their schools. It's for everybody, but we say Especially for Athletes."

Former Utah basketball and NBA star Britton Johnson recalls the moment he became involved with the organization, saying his "eyes lit up" at the chance to make a difference with teenagers who were once like him.

"It's unique, it's rare," Johnson said. "Nobody else is doing this. The truth of the matter is that life is full of roller-coaster moments. Highlights. Lowlights. It's about having your eyes up, figuring out ways to better other people's lives.

"Someone at lunch that needs a kid to sit by, or someone who looks like they may be depressed or bullied. It's about not just being oblivious to what you've been given, but about understanding what you've been given and doing something about it."

Every 11 minutes nationally a teenager will attempt suicide, according to recent statistics. On the Wasatch Front, Utah ranks among the top five in the nation for suicide attempts, including drug overdoses.

"There are various reasons for that," Smith said. "But we feel like if we are going to make a mistake, let's make the mistake that we tried too hard to get the culture created in our society to do something about it."

Springville multi-sport athlete Mary Frederickson said the program's impact is already far-reaching — with serious consequences.

"You could potentially save someone's life, or make their day in a way that you didn't know you could before," she said.

Added Johnson: "How many suicides could we have saved? How many kids are battling depression that we could help?

"If we had athletes just understand it, knowing that it's out there, these kids are part of a program that are going to know."

For more information, visit especially4athletes.org or on Twitter, @E4Afamily.

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Jeremiah Jensen

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