Coach Rick's Weighted Challenge for Kids' Mental Health

“Hello! My name is Rick Hadwick and I’m about to do something really silly, but for a great cause! I’ll be raising money for Children's mental health charities and services based in North Texas.

During this year’s soccer season (24/25) I will be wearing a weighted vest during every practice and game that my teams participate in. That’s a lot of hours and a lot of weight! However, those hours are incomparable to the day-to-day struggle many children and their families face when navigating mental health.

I’m passionate about this because not only due to my own challenges, but witnessed family, friends, teammates and players endure many of the difficulties that come with mental illness. Not to mention the challenges we all face, when life is hard, and the impact that can have on wellbeing and mental health.

This can truly feel like a weight on our shoulders. That is why i chose this challenge. I want kids out there having a tough time to know that we are with them, and there is support out there. Please help me in raising awareness and give what you can.

”Our children deserve better”

I chose to raise money for the Grant Halliburton foundation (https://www.granthalliburton.org) and the child mind institute due to the amazing and transparent work they do for young people, and in raising awareness in mental health. As noted on their website:

“We’re dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments. Together, we truly can transform children’s lives”

https://childmind.org

Thank you all so much for your generosity and support!!

Coach Rick