By Rachel Hill

If you’re like me and were anticipating the premiere of the latest season of Ted Lasso, then surely you’ve been following the news around the show, including the cast’s recent visit to the White House pressroom, where the series lead actor Jason Sudeikis delivered a powerful speech on the importance of taking care of our mental health and “checking in on your neighbor.”

**Spoilers Ahead**

Previously, on Ted Lasso

Last season followed Ted’s journey of having panic attacks, dealing with past trauma from his childhood following his father’s death, and ultimately talking with a therapist to begin working through all this. Yeah, I know, light stuff. However, in typical Ted Lasso fashion, the show handled it with grace and subtle humor.

Reigniting a Flame

What struck me, however, was how, with this new season premiere, the show has managed to bring this conversation around our mental health back to the forefront. Like many things, this topic can seem to easily get lost in the myriad of Instagram posts, podcasts, and books on this topic. And like much of social media culture, we need something to bring us out of our scrolling mentality and get our attention.

A Coach’s Strategy to Teaching Us About Mental Health

Sports and mental health are typically two topics that don’t go hand in hand; however, this seems to be a developing trend. More and more athletes are being taught to approach their sport holistically rather than something that is just a pure manifestation of physical grit.

Sudeikis’ Lasso character stereotypically would abide by the grin-and-bear-it mentality of the steadfast, solid-as-a-rock leader trope. What’s so endearing about Lasso is that he is willing to fight against this preconceived notion and is presenting us with someone who is kind, humble, and funny, and who rocks one heck of a mustache!