Number of Participants: 66
Hours Donated: 4
Value of Time Served: $9,185
Event Type: Health & Safety
Activity: Girls Ice Hockey
School: Park High School
Date: December 3, 2025
Location:
Park High School of Cottage Grove
80th Street South, Cottage Grove
MN
About:
Park of Cottage Grove continues its meaningful tradition of championing student well-being through its annual Sophie’s Squad Mental Health Awareness Game. Since 2021, the Wolfpack girls hockey program has partnered with Sophie’s Squad to shine a light on the importance of mental health in youth sports.
Sophie’s Squad—an organization dedicated to raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health challenges among young athletes—is now celebrating its fifth anniversary season. Each year, the varsity and junior varsity girls hockey teams from Cottage Grove and Woodbury unite to support the cause, wearing special jerseys, decorating their arena, and using their platform to encourage open conversations around mental health.
Before the start of this year’s Woodbury vs. Park girls hockey game in Cottage Grove, a ceremonial puck drop marked the program’s fifth annual Sophie’s Squad event—a tradition that began the same year the organization was founded.
“We really just want to help athletes understand that mental health is important,” said Sophie’s Squad Vice President Matt Lee. “It’s something that they should treat like their physical health.”
Park players filled their home arena with purple and teal—the signature colors of Sophie’s Squad—and added matching accents to their helmets and hair ties. Both teams received mental health resources, which were also shared with fans in attendance.
Park senior goalie Alayna Adamez reflected on the impact of the event:
“I think it’s a monumental thing that we do. It’s amazing to show little girls and older people that your mental health matters every day. The game energy is always inspirational. It’s always electric.”
Since its inception, Sophie’s Squad has expanded well beyond youth hockey, now reaching college and professional athletes through partnerships with organizations like the PWHL.
Park senior center Alyssa Hill shared how the initiative has personally helped her and others:
“I’ve seen it help people tremendously. For me, it made it a lot easier to know that there may be other people going through the same things. Everybody has their own story. It’s totally okay to talk about it because we’re all human at the end of the day.”
The continued commitment from these student-athletes underscores a powerful message: mental health matters, and no one should face their struggles alone. Through their voices, leadership, and annual tradition, the Park of Cottage Grove community continues to foster compassion, awareness, and support across Minnesota high school athletics.
