After losing his son Jesse to suicide at age 22, a Victoria dad began speaking to his hockey team about mental health.
Those locker room conversations have since expanded into a multi-sport program that has now reached over 18,000 young athletes across Canada and have become the subject of a film that captures how coaches, parents and athletes alike are finding ways to break the silence.
The TELUS-funded feature Buddy Check for Jesse features the journey of Dr. Stu Gershman who chose to speak up and helped spark a national conversation about mental health in youth sports in the wake of the 2014 tragedy.
"He’s an inspiration," stated Robyn Vandersteen, who helped bring the program to Manitoba "Stu took the loss of his son, turned his grief into a passion to honour him and to perhaps help change the generation to come."
Gershmann established the Buddy Check for Jesse Society in 2018 and in the years that followed have helped provide some of the tools necessary for facilitating
meaningful mental health discussions. The society's aim is to cultivate an environment where mental health is openly discussed, understood, and supported.
The Buddy Check program has already been adopted by BC Hockey, Volleyball Manitoba, and other provincial sports bodies, reinforcing how youth coaches can make a lasting impact by addressing mental health alongside physical training. Locally, the Abbotsford Minor Hockey Association has run Buddy Check events in recent seasons, with players skating in the program’s green tape and coaches leading quick 'Coaches' Chats'.
"Thirty-five percent of elite athletes deal with mental health issues,” notes Dr. Bruce Pinel in the film.
“This is far more common than people realize,” UVic Vikes athlete Carson Strom adds in the film. “People my age and even older have told me this program changed their life. It opened my eyes to how important it is.”
The film offers a model for early prevention and peer support that complements clinical care. Youth sports organizations are encouraged to book screenings, host Coaches Chats, and bring Buddy Check for Jesse into their leagues this season as a proven way to strengthen resilience, camaraderie and care among athletes.
The documentary recently won Best Documentary at Lenses at the Vancouver Independent Film Festival and continues its Canadian festival run through the fall. For more information on the program, visit buddycheckforjesse.com.
Abbotsford audiences will be among the first to take in the new documentary which premieres at the Abbotsford Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The Abbotsford Film Festival runs from Sept. 4 to 6, with doors opening at 6 p.m. each day. All screenings occur at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium and conclude with filmmaker question and answer sessions starting at 9 p.m. For more on the event, visit abbotsfordfilmfestival.com.
