2024 LAX2LIVE Recap

Staff member Jaileen Barber reflects on the 2024 season of our LAX2LIVE lacrosse student-athlete mental health and suicide awareness program. Through LAX2LIVE, the Brian Dagle Foundation reaches over 1,000 high school and college lacrosse players each year, sharing Brian’s story and encouraging them to reach out and ask for help. The program’s motto “It’s okay to not be okay,” is repeated with each team, letting the athletes know they’re not alone.

I can confidently say that LAX2LIVE is one of my favorite parts of working at the Brian Dagle Foundation. LAX2LIVE season shows the passion students bring to the field after a hard day of school and we get to remind them that their mental health is just as important as their physical health.

The importance of LAX2LIVE is to start a conversation; I can say firsthand that it does its job even after the season has ended. I wear my LAX2LIVE shirt all the time and have had strangers come up to me just to say they have the same shirt, they played in a LAX2LIVE game, their son or daughter has the same shirt, or any one of the many small comments that make what we do even more special. We’ve had parents tell us that they believe this program is what led their kids to reach out for help from a trusted adult for either themselves or their peers.

LAX2LIVE is one of my special projects and each year it amazes me with how many shirts I count and pack up for the long list of schools who are eager to participate. This year I had the privilege of sharing my own story with the 1,000 student athletes we reached during our program. I will never forget the look on their faces of hearing someone who was in their shoes not too long ago. Each team we reach displays a genuine level of respect for us, which is something I love to see. The nods of agreement, the tears that fall, and the respectful handshakes are all moments I will never forget.

The LAX2LIVE program helps show that one conversation can save a life and it is so important to teach young people how to reach out and not settle for one-word answers.

For more information on LAX2LIVE, visit BriansHealingHearts.org/LAX2LIVE