WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP

WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - Printable Version

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RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - needle - 03-04-2022

Whomever the teammate is that Meyer was trying to defend, she needs to be swaddled with counseling (ideally provided by someone very much removed from Stanford athletics).

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - Grad Fan - 03-04-2022

(03-04-2022, 10:23 AM)TonyLima Wrote: Katie’s parents speak.

Wow that was hard to watch…

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - Nan3cy - 03-04-2022

(03-04-2022, 10:23 AM)TonyLima Wrote: Katie’s parents speak.

Her mom’s comment about Katie feeling the need to be perfect really resonated with me. I think that’s not uncommon, but I’ll bet it’s a lot more common at a place like Stanford.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - teejers1 - 03-05-2022

(03-04-2022, 11:36 AM)needle Wrote: Whomever the teammate is that Meyer was trying to defend, she needs to be swaddled with counseling (ideally provided by someone very much removed from Stanford athletics).

Interesting. My first reaction was the administrative body making the decision to initiate a disciplinary trial/hearing on the disputed matter should hopefully appreciate the serious ramifications of the decisions they make in their offices, far-removed from real life, in the comfort of 20-20 hindsight.

Look, maybe the decision was 100% justified; but seriously, these administrative bodies - particularly on campuses where their decisions could adversely affect young adults for the rest of their lives - need to understand the effect they have.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - needle - 03-05-2022

Stanford has declined to comment on the disciplinary matter.

We can’t get into someone else’s head. I have seen no mention of any kind of note from Meyer. My poor understanding of suicide is that while there may be a precipitating event, it’s also very common for people to struggle for quite some time with ideas of self-harm, often telling no one. It’s also important to realize that if there was some very specific event in Meyer’s life causing her pain, there could have been some overwhelming anguish already there. Depression is a killer.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - teejers1 - 03-05-2022

(03-05-2022, 12:21 PM)needle Wrote: Stanford has declined to comment on the disciplinary matter.

We can’t get into someone else’s head. I have seen no mention of any kind of note from Meyer. My poor understanding of suicide is that while there may be a precipitating event, it’s also very common for people to struggle for quite some time with ideas of self-harm, often telling no one. It’s also important to realize that if there was some very specific event in Meyer’s life causing her pain, there could have been some overwhelming anguish already there. Depression is a killer.

I don't disagree with you; but the article and parental comments noted that the administrative inquiry had been going on for months, only recently culminating in a decision to proceed with formal disciplinary proceeding.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - M T - 05-10-2022

With sadness, but out of concern, I am resurrecting this thread. At least two other Division-I female athletes have committed suicide since Katie Meyer.
Wisconsin runner Sarah Shulze
James Madison softball catcher Lauren Bernett

Quote:On Sunday, April 24, she finished a monster weekend, going 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles in the series finale against Drexel. She hit .778 and drove in seven runs during the three-game set.

On Monday, April 25, she was named Colonial Athletic Association player of the week.

On Tuesday, April 26, she was gone.

Her final at-bat was a home run.

I am at a loss to understand these losses. These were not loners or strung out on drugs or living a marginal existence on the street. All had recent athletic successes, and as far as I can tell, had no academic failures. Clearly, athletic success is not sufficient to prevent suicide.

While these 3 examples are female, I'm sure there are males as well. Whether there are equal numbers is unknown to me. These individuals stand out because they were successful athletes. But any suicide is an equal loss.

I presume most of us went through some level of emotional turmoil during college. What got us through it that might not have been there for these individuals? Was it chance or did we have some advantage?

Personally, I never felt close to that precipice. For me, I was most lonely/depressed at a time that coincided with my best athletic improvement. I always thought I concentrated on my sport at that time in compensation -- my grades dropped as well. My teammates were my friends as I was far from family. High school friends were no longer friends. I had room mates, but they didn't count. As it turns out, just before that time, a school mate (non-athlete) I knew fairly well committed suicide. He died far from school after failing to return to school mid-year, so we only found out when I was sent a newspaper clipping. It seemed incomprehensible to me, as I was the last person at school to have seen him some 3 months earlier, and he was his normal self.

I hope coaches and all the other assistants on teams are instructed on how to create & maintain an environment where there are bonds among teammates so that each person has someone to turn to, or at least someone who may spot signs. I expect many of these individuals are quite capable of hiding their feelings from their parents, coaches, doctors, or others in positions of responsibility. It is harder to hide feelings from roommates and friends.

I wonder how common Impostor Syndrome is in athletes and in college-age suicides.

I hope and expect that Stanford has taken a hard look at the women's soccer team and considered how Katie Meyer might have gotten through her issues, whatever they were (possibly non-athletic and non-academic). Then Stanford can try to generalize and apply that to their entire community (not just athletes). I think it would take more than a course or some required reading or open-door counseling.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - TrumpCard - 05-10-2022

Thank you. This is a very important subject. I think the problem demands society-wide solutions because it is bigger than Stanford. With that said, I think Stanford created a nice curriculum in wellness that has gotten good reviews. The Bridge is a good resource. Some improvements may have to happen organically through a change in culture that can’t just be imposed from the university administration. People who are suffering would have to be more open to accepting help and others would have to be thoughtful to reduce the stigma of mental illness. I do wonder whether Stanford could do one thing to improve mental health, which would be to reduce social engineering in the freshman roommate selection process.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - jonnyss - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 01:34 AM)M T Wrote: While these 3 examples are female, I'm sure there are males as well. Whether there are equal numbers is unknown to me. These individuals stand out because they were successful athletes. But any suicide is an equal loss.

suicidal ideation and attempts are more common in women. completed suicide is more common in men

link

that said, there do indeed seem to be more stories in the news about star female student athletes killing themselves and also more stories about stanford female students killing themselves.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - needle - 05-10-2022

You may not agree 100% with this, but I believe it to be a factor:

https://www.hhs.gov/answers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse/what-does-suicide-contagion-mean/index.html

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - TrumpCard - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 06:26 PM)needle Wrote: You may not agree 100% with this, but I believe it to be a factor:

https://www.hhs.gov/answers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse/what-does-suicide-contagion-mean/index.html

Of course the guidance in the article is generally helpful. But are you saying this was a factor for Meyer? Were there other suicides on campus recently?

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - 82lsju - 05-10-2022

(05-10-2022, 08:50 PM)TrumpCard Wrote:
(05-10-2022, 06:26 PM)needle Wrote: You may not agree 100% with this, but I believe it to be a factor:

https://www.hhs.gov/answers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse/what-does-suicide-contagion-mean/index.html

Of course the guidance in the article is generally helpful. But are you saying this was a factor for Meyer? Were there other suicides on campus recently?

some of these may have been

Quote:Medical student Rose Wong, 25, died in her dorm on Feb. 2, 2021. Undergraduate Jacob Meisel, 23, was killed by a train in Palo Alto on Aug. 2. And law student Dylan Simmons, 27, was found dead in his dorm on Jan. 20. The cause of Simmons’ death hasn’t been released.

https://padailypost.com/2022/03/05/undergrad-found-dead-at-stanford/

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - 2006alum - 05-10-2022

Suicide contagion == Two Years of Pandemic-adjusted College Life. Not to get political, but I do think the rebellion among parents has been the result of watching the mental health and wellbeing of their children take a steep dive over the past two years. Not blaming anyone, but I don't think this is at all a coincidence.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - mbdude - 05-11-2022

? on Instagram: “May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you, your family, or your friends are dealing with stress and anxiety, CalHope is here for all…”

Cameron Brink short video

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - JJJ - 06-01-2022

From The Daily today.

Quote:Three months ago, Stanford student Katie Meyer ’22 died in a campus residence. Now, Meyer’s parents, Gina and Steve, are pushing for a nationwide change to university policies that they believe can help save the lives of college students.

The proposed policy, named “Katie’s Save” after the women’s soccer goalkeeper, aims to establish institutional mechanisms that would allow for closer contact between universities and parents about challenges facing their children. The drafted policy offers students the choice to opt into a system that would automatically notify a designated advocate when the student faces circumstances including disciplinary action, physical injury, substance abuse and academic probation. The policy has since garnered more than 3,500 signatures in support from community members at Stanford and across the country.

https://stanforddaily.com/2022/05/31/meyer-family-launches-katies-save-calls-for-institutional-change-at-stanford-nationwide/?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailchimp&utm_content=Jun-01-2022

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - 82lsju - 06-01-2022

(06-01-2022, 03:45 PM)JJJ Wrote: From The Daily today.

Quote:Three months ago, Stanford student Katie Meyer ’22 died in a campus residence. Now, Meyer’s parents, Gina and Steve, are pushing for a nationwide change to university policies that they believe can help save the lives of college students.

The proposed policy, named “Katie’s Save” after the women’s soccer goalkeeper, aims to establish institutional mechanisms that would allow for closer contact between universities and parents about challenges facing their children. The drafted policy offers students the choice to opt into a system that would automatically notify a designated advocate when the student faces circumstances including disciplinary action, physical injury, substance abuse and academic probation. The policy has since garnered more than 3,500 signatures in support from community members at Stanford and across the country.

https://stanforddaily.com/2022/05/31/meyer-family-launches-katies-save-calls-for-institutional-change-at-stanford-nationwide/?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailchimp&utm_content=Jun-01-2022

So if a student has not told their parents about some problem how likely are they to opt in on a program like this?

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - Softball Fan - 06-01-2022

That was the first question that came to my mind. She was 22 years old. The parents speculate she was worried about some disciplinary action by the university that was pending for six months. If she didn't want the parents to get involved why would she voluntarily agree to have them be informed about any and all matters.

One can't be sure what's in a person's mind. I read a number of articles about her story. Some speculated body image issues, some speculated about the need for perfection, some guessed the pressures of being an athlete at a academically rigorous school, and some even blamed covid isolation. Who knows?

I hope her parents accomplish what they're searching for. And hopefully it can be implemented in a practical, beneficial manner.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - TrumpCard - 06-01-2022

Since Katie is gone, may as well help people with a similar condition, even if the specific policy the parents want to implement would not have helped Katie if it had been in place at the time. Like parents who fight for assault weapons bans even though their kid was shot by someone with a gun that would not have qualified as an "assault weapon" under the colloquial definition.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - Goose - 06-01-2022

Many students would "opt in" to such a system figuring it would never apply to them anyway, so what is the harm? When it later does matter, IMHO it would be improbable they would go opt out, as that in itself would be a message to their parents. The current situation is a byproduct of "too much regulation". If you know someone is having problems and you think their parents should know, back "in the day" you just told them, because you weren't going to face legal consequences for so doing. While I do think privacy for students is an issue, I think the University bears too large a burden in the present system. The current system is not an improvement IMHO. In loco parentis used to give the University the authority to inform the parents at the Universities discretion. It still should.

RE: WSOC Goalie Katie Meyer -- RIP - 2006alum - 06-01-2022

Oddly, I would have the opposite reaction of Goose. I'm almost certain I would have told my parents about any potential pending disciplinary incidents -- by choice -- because I found them to be helpful fonts of life advice. But I would never, ever sign up for a default system to automatically notify a parent of anything. I am probably a dying breed among millennials, but I would never want my parents defaulted into knowing my grades, what classes I was talking, or what my medical or disciplinary history is. And call me really old fashioned, but in my view, in loco parentis ends when someone turns 18 and is a legal adult. (Though I realize Google et al. still treat people in their 30s like they're too incapable even to do their own laundry.)

Then again, I guess what's the harm in yet another helicopter parent policy?