Try Time! - Ray helps students get their 'Head in the Game"

Former North Queensland Toyota Cowboys player and now Programs Manager Ray Thompson has returned to his old stomping ground, Kirwan State High School, to deliver a lesson in mental wellness and resilience.

The Term 4 rollout of the Cowboys’ Try Time! ‘Head in the Game’ module coincides with World Mental Health Month.

Presented by Sun Metals, the module draws upon Ray’s own football and life experiences to help secondary school students name their emotions and normalise having meaningful conversations about mental wellbeing.

Renowned for excellence in Rugby League, Kirwan State High School has requested the Cowboys deliver three Try Time Modules, including ‘Head in the Game’, to senior boys in the rugby league program.

“Mental health can be a difficult subject for anyone to talk about, let alone young people who are going through a transformational time already,” said Kirwan State High School Head of Department Student Services Nathan Norford.

“Having someone like Ray, who the students look up to and can relate to, speak so openly about his experiences helps them feel more relaxed and less shameful to admit they’re struggling themselves,” he said.

“These young men are on the cusp of entering a new stage of life, finishing high school and moving into adulthood, and hopefully they take some key lessons out of Ray’s presentation that will help them through the ups and downs.”

Research suggests mental health disorders carry the largest burden of disease for 15–24-year-olds, while 15–19-year-old have the highest rates of hospitalisation due to self-harm.

Shockingly, suicide is the most common cause of death in this age group, but 65 per cent of adolescents won’t seek help for mental health concerns.

“Rugby league is great leveler, it provides a common ground for us to connect in a meaningful way with young people who might otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach,” Ray said.

“The statistics are clear and shocking when it comes to rates of mental ill-health amongst youth,” he said.

“Teenagers, like footballers, often think they should be able to just push through and deal with everything on their own, or maybe they’re embarrassed or scared to talk about how they’re feeling.

“’Head in the Game’ is all about removing those barriers to seeking help, educating the students to recognise warning signs, and normalise speaking up.”

Sun Metals Finance and Business Planning Director Simon Sleigh said the Head in the Game message was something the students could draw upon as they become young adults.

“It’s concerning to think, one in four of the young people at this workshop have, are or will likely struggle with, a mental health condition this year,” he said.

“I think the real difference with Try Time! is that it’s a relaxed discussion about important things with someone who the students connect with and admire, and who is not afraid to share his own vulnerabilities.”

Try Time! is an educational program run by the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys in secondary schools targeting students in years 10, 11 and 12.

All Try Time! modules are available for presentation in North Queensland secondary schools throughout the school year. To register interest, visit cowboys.com.au/community/try-time/.