Basketball Victoria is supporting the initiative, SmackTalk, founded to help educate as many people as possible on how to start a difficult conversation to help save lives.
Frankston and District Basketball Association chief executive Wayne Holdsworth created SmackTalk in early 2024 following the loss of his son Mac, to suicide.
Recognising the critical need for mental health support and suicide prevention, Holdsworth approached Basketball Victoria to help advocate for this worthy cause.
“SmackTalk provides suicide prevention education to ensure that more and more people are aware of the signs to look for, the questions to ask, and the specific listening skills required to be a good colleague, friend, and family member,” he said.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Basketball Victoria as the peak governing body in the state for basketball, as it provides a partnership between sport and suicide prevention. Because we all know the benefits of sports and the positive impact it has on mental fitness.”
“I could have taken three paths after Mac passed away – end my life, live a shallow life and just get through each day and blame everybody, or the third path: take Mac’s death as a catalyst to do more in helping to educate and raise awareness for suicide prevention. I am glad that I have chosen the third path.”
Basketball Victoria will support SmackTalk by advocating for and endorsing the messages and programs it is driving within the Victorian basketball community.
This partnership aims to foster a community where mental health awareness is at the forefront and a place where everyone feels supported.
Basketball Victoria chief executive Nick Honey said he understands the importance of providing safe spaces for everyone to enjoy the sport in any capacity they choose.
“We want to work with SmackTalk to be part of the solution and avoid more families going through what Wayne and his family have recently experienced. We know participation in sport can help to give people, and young people in particular, an outlet and a feeling of belonging and support. If we can help to decrease these statistics through supporting programs like SmackTalk, we will,” he said.
Through this partnership, Basketball Victoria and SmackTalk are committed to making a lasting impact on the Victorian basketball community by promoting mental health awareness.
The program provides opportunities for Victorian basketball associations to hear from the SmackTalk team in one of their free SmackTalk sessions which aims at educating every organisation on how to really listen, and perhaps change the course of a person’s life.
