Watson Turns Tragedy Into Triumph, Mental Health Advocacy

The two things most people immediately think of when they hear "student-athlete" are athletic and academic prowess.
 
Thanks to Ashland University sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Watson, another aspect of the student-athlete experience – mental health – is having a much brighter light shining upon it.
 
Watson's life calling to be a mental health advocate stems from what happened to her family when she was 10. Watson's father, Brian, committed suicide at age 53. At 16, Watson was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety.
 
"I had to put myself first," she said, detailing how she dealt with those life events. "My huge second support system was my mom (Heather). I was a daddy's girl. My mom and I were always close, and so it was just the three of us. Once my dad died, my mom and I became absolute best friends.
 
"I started being a huge advocate within my own high school (Lakota West). I was in a suicide prevention group. Then, when I came on to campus, I knew I didn't want to hide my story.
 
"I'm the mental health girl, and I'm OK with being the mental health girl. That is what I feel is my calling in life. There's not enough of people talking about their mental health."
 
Following a pre-collegiate soccer career in which she played exclusively club throughout high school, it was time for Watson to transition to her time as an Eagle.
 
"When I first came in, it was just my mom and I, I was really sad to leave my mom, and that was a huge transition for me," Watson said. "Coming in, I was extremely anxious and nervous. I struggled a lot with the transition, just being in a new environment with new people. Just everything in general.
 
"So it was very obvious on the field that I was not myself. It was obvious outside of soccer that I was not myself. I finally eventually got myself to come to Cayleb (AU head women's soccer coach Cayleb Paulino), and just told him everything that was going on, and he was very patient and understanding and helpful."
 
Paulino said, "I recruited Sarah for quite a few years, so I got to build that relationship on our first Zoom call, that Sarah was open about her situation and things that she's dealt with. It's been awesome and unique to see Sarah grow, but also her growth through all this.
 
"That's probably why Sarah was more comfortable coming to me, because I knew prior to. We were able to establish that relationship. Those are things that allow me to be able to help her, is knowing her situation prior to her coming to Ashland."
 
While making that transition, Watson was becoming a conduit for those who wanted to discuss their mental health.
 
"People started coming to me. Once I kind of saw people coming to me, I was like, 'OK, I'm going to take leadership on this,'" she said. "Just kind of dive in."
 
Watson also worked at AU's Recreation Center, and she also has an internship for the AU wellness program.
 
Faith also has guided Watson through her difficult times.
 
"I don't think I would be where I am today…if I didn't keep my faith," she said. "I went to church with a lot of my teammates last year, which was very helpful. Some of us pray before games. Right after my dad died, I struggled with my faith. It was a hard battle. There was a lot of blame that I put on God for taking my father away from me. I also know it was a mental illness that overtook him.
 
"I had to trust God in the process where, yes, my father died, and yes, it was a tragic experience, but why did He put me through that? I could have gone down two different paths. And if I went down the other path, I don't think I would be helping the people I am now."
 
At the end of her first year on the Ashland campus, Watson received the Perseverance & Courage ASHPY Award.
 
"All my classes were done, so I thought about going home on Friday after my first classes, then probably coming back up for the ASHPYs," she recalled, adding that fellow now-sophomores Emily Pate and Natalie Miskerik convinced her to stay. "I stayed for the next three days, and I'm glad. Then, Avery (Rosso) started speaking, and it immediately hit me.
 
"I knew they were talking about me…it was just like, what I'm doing is actually working and helping people."
 
Watson played one half of one game during her freshman season. No matter how much time she ultimately spends in the Eagle net during her time on campus, Watson's impact on campus has been significant, and will be long-lasting.
 
"We talk about being brave all the time," Paulino said. "Being able to tell your story multiple times and being able to do other things that you have to deal with every single day and still help others is being incredibly brave. That's part of the character of Sarah is that, it's not easy. That's something she stresses to everybody. It's not going to be done in a day or two.
 
"For her to be able to balance everything that she does and still be an incredible advocate for the college is incredibly brave, and I am super proud of her."