DAVIS, Calif. – As the 2021-2022 athletic calendar year winds down to the finish line, UC Davis student-athletes are reminded to take a moment out of their busy lives to relax and recuperate.
 
There's no better time to do so during Mental Health Awareness Month.
 
Leading the way in aid for mental health, Athlete Guidance and Support (AGS), a student-driven organization, focuses to promote mental health awareness in the athletic community.
 
On May 18, AGS hosted its annual CAREnival event at Russell Field East where hundreds of student-athletes and Aggie supporters were able to have some fun and destress from their hard-working environments.
 
"This is one of biggest events that AGS encompasses," said Ryman Crone, fifth-year cross country and track student athlete and co-leader of AGS. "To see it return to full force is so great. This is really our bread and butter to AGS."
 
From bounce houses to watermelon eating contests, the event gave a sense of relief from every-day life. More importantly, the AGS ambassadors were able to extend their passion about mental health and destigmatizing mental health within the Aggie community.
 
AGS was formed in inspiration after track & field athlete Sydney Holmes in 2018. At the time, Crone was a freshman and over his five years at UC Davis, he has seen the organization blossom to bear fruit.
 
"We hold meetings three times a quarter to be able to check in on our teammates and navigate the world of mental health," Crone said.  We ultimately want to find resources and be a good support for teammates. "We really try to be spokespeople for taking care of our mental health. That's the main goal of AGS."
 
Crone appreciates Dr. Michael Lorenzen, UC Davis' senior associate athletics director and the head of the Aggie EVO program, and Sule Anibaba, UC Davis' Outcomes Advisor, for their guidance in helping AGS grow.
 
"I want to thank them for all they've done in making AGS better," Crone said.
 
Over the course of his Aggie athletic career, Crone has learned about the importance of mental health in sports and leaves a message to his peers about his experience grasping mental health.
 
"Mental health is the most important out of everything," Crone said. "I think a big part of all athletics is realizing vulnerability and pushing through pain seems a little counter-intuitive in the athletic world because we're taught to not show weakness. I think that AGS has been helpful in that sense because it shows that asking for help is completely fine."