Noah Melick on the soccer field.
Teenagers face mounting pressure to not only perform but to outperform their peers in academics and athletics. Getting to play sports at the collegiate level has been turned into a ceremony that resembles a professional draft. It’s a big deal—being on top secures you cameras and attention and scholarships at the most prestigious universities. We rarely talk about the immense pressure these student athletes face starting at a young age. It’s easy to forget that these athletes don’t pop up overnight. Many have been playing since they could walk without their large toddler heads causing them to tumble over themselves. Elite athletes are created from a combination of natural talent, dedication and enough internal and external pressure to create a diamond.
These superhuman expectations can wreak havoc on the still developing brains of teenagers and young adults, causing anxiety and depression. This year alone there has been an uptick in student athletes dying by suicide. These deaths are occurring in teens and young adults who are at the top of their game playing a sport they likely loved. It's patently clear that the pressure on these students is immense. That’s why when Noah Melick, a University of Wisconsin soccer player, decided to take a step back from a sport he excelled at, his actions garnered support from across America.
Noah Melick and teammates in a huddle.
Courtesy of Noah Melick
Melick shared in a letter that he posted to Facebook explaining why he was giving up a sport that had secured him a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin. He wrote “After unimaginable concussions that left me disabled for a while, which led to mental health scares that could’ve taken my life, I have finally decided to hang ’em up,” he wrote. “It’s not worth the risk.”
The risk to a child’s physical and mental well-being is often forgotten about until an injury occurs. With Melick experiencing multiple concussions, it's clear he had his fair share of physical pain. The star soccer player went on to say “pulling myself from my scholarship and school was the hardest decision of my life but could’ve been one of the smartest decisions I have ever made … because I’m still here.”
Later in the letter, Melick recognizes that it looked like he had everything but he was in a constant state of struggle due to his mental health. He encouraged other student athletes to do what they need to better themselves if they’re hurting or struggling. He continued his letter by saying “mental health is an injury that needs to be treated like any other injury,” and closed his resignation letter by recognizing three college student athletes that died by suicide this year with the reminder that “our identity isn’t our sport.”
Noah Melick celebrating on the field.
Courtesy of Noah Melick
Melick's letter should serve as a reminder that although these kids are good at the sport they play, they’re still human and, in many cases, still children. Their mental health should come first above all else, because there’s no game or scholarship worth someone’s life. If you’re a parent of a student athlete, this letter should spark a conversation within your family about the seriousness of mental health and ways to address it in a healthy way. These athletes need our support and going on the comments under Noah’s letter, it seems like the support is out there. We just have to acknowledge the hurt.
If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (273-8255) or text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line: 741741.
The Frenchman's monologue was absolutely spot on 
A court reporter taking notes.via
Depiction of Jesus Christ in Heaven.via
A photo of Santa Claus.via
A man sweating in his car.via
Many people—including 
If not for that darn silver....
Sadly, Lake Tahoe's proposals were overruled. 
National parks are the ultimate tourism magnets. 
Entire economies depend on a local national park. 
Dinosaur National Monument looks like a national park, but is it?
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.