Mark Potter Discusses Mental Health with SCCC Athletes

Kenny Hernandez

LIBERAL, Kan.- Yesterday in the Greenhouse, the Seward County Community College student-athletes gathered to listen to Mark Potter discuss his personal battle with depression. Coach Potter was a Men’s Basketball coach for 30 years and is currently traveling the nation to discuss mental health and create a conversation with others. For an hour, the student-athletes were engaged in the powerful personal story of Coach Potter as he discussed some of the hardest times in his life.

Mark Potter’s emphasis was for the stigma of mental health to be lifted and for the younger generation to lead the charge of change. His message was for the athletes to be more understanding and open about mental health and to create more conversations about it. This passionate speech was focused on his personal battle with depression to give the student-athletes the perspective of the illness through someone’s own experience with it.

After the great conversation, Coach Potter was able to bring in his wife of 36 years, Nanette Potter to talk about the perspective of the caregiver and how she was able to help him receive the care he needed. This is continued support that is still going on today.

Coach Potter showed the student-athletes that even in sports it is prevalent and there are resources available for those that need it. In this current global climate, it seems that this conversation is one that we need to have more of and will help to remove the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses.

For more information on Mark Potter and his story visit d2up.org.