Young Hatter Caleb Wyrostok on I Got Mind tour talking about mental health

By Sean Rooney on August 22, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

For a kid who’s done a lot of growing up in a short period of time, Caleb Wyrostok could’ve said no.

The 15-year-old hockey player from Medicine Hat has enough going on, you could argue. On the heels of a breakout bantam AAA season that got him drafted by the Swift Current Broncos, he’s moving to Edmonton to play with the Northern Alberta Xtreme. He’ll start high school in a totally new setting.

But after working the past year with former Bronco Bob Wilkie, who now does mental skills coaching for numerous groups including the Medicine Hat Tigers, an opportunity came up that Wyrostok decided he was ready for.

Perfectly comfortable on the ice, he’s going to be part of Wilkie’s I Got Mind tour, talking in front of groups of fellow athletes, parents and coaches about his struggles with mental health and how he’s turned the corner.

“I’m there to relate to all the younger athletes that are out there who put a lot of pressure on themselves, make a connection that not maybe they can make,” said Wyrostok. “It’s very common amongst young people like me and even older people, so for sure, spreading the word and getting that out there is great.”

Wilkie, ex-Tiger and NHLer Kelly Hrudey and social worker Shawn O’Grady are the main figures behind the tour, which starts with an Oct. 18 show in Calgary and visits nine other cities across the country, planning to wrap up next June in Halifax. Wyrostok is only confirmed for the Calgary and Edmonton stops so far, and his role will be essentially bridging the gap between the older speakers on stage and the youth in the audience.

“When I asked Caleb, it was because his issues are the issues that we’re talking about, that he’s been dealing with,” said Wilkie. “I thought what more powerful way for the kids and the parents in the audience to relate than a 15-year-old?”

Noting he probably couldn’t have done a tour like this even five years ago, Wilkie is looking to keep the conversation going with regards to mental health in Canada. Wyrostok is excited to be a part of it, in part because his own growth has given him the confidence to step on to such a stage.

“I experienced a lot of self-doubt, I had a hard time dealing with failure, was very hard on myself,” said Wyrostok, whose 24 points in 27 games helped the Southeast Atheltic Club’s bantams reach the post-season for the first time in five years. “Most times it was after games, after practices thinking what I could have done different or better. I’ve had to work hard on that for sure.

“Setting goals for myself is one of the main things I do to boost my self-confidence. Achieving my expectations is one of the biggest things that has helped me get past that.”

Back when Wilkie played in the 1980’s and ’90s, such topics were taboo. He figures his personal turning point came when he retired. And now he’s got kids like Wyrostok who will talk publicly, though that’s certainly not the situation for many other youth still.

“When you get them in a 1-on-1 and a comfortable scenario, they’re absolutely OK talking about it,” said Wilkie. “Amongst their peers and grown-ups, they’re still quite shy and reserved about it.

“They’re growing up in a generation that’s talking about how it’s OK to talk about it.”

Wilkie notes even in Wyrostok’s case, he’s being careful not to put undue pressure on the teenager. That’s why he’s only got him for the first two shows so far. He wants to see both athletes and their parents attend the shows, and hopefully they’ll come away having started new conversations.

“If we’re all there for a reason, to learn something, then only good is going to come of it,” said Wilkie. “And whether it’s a conversation they’re having on the ride home, or whether it’s help they’re going to find…

“The situations aren’t going to change but if we can educate them on how to deal with those things, the long-term effects aren’t there anymore.”

Visit igotmind.ca for more information on the tour.

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