As one of seven lacrosse-playing siblings, St. Paul’s attacker Marleigh O’Day certainly hasn’t lacked for emotional support away from the playing field. That was never more apparent than on National Signing Day last November, when she made official her choice to attend Clemson University, literally surrounded by her cadre of orange-clad brothers and sisters.

It was while going through the highs and lows of an often intense recruiting process, however, when she realized some of her friends and teammates didn’t have quite the same support system.

“I realized that I had a really positive environment growing up, and that not everyone has that as well,” O’Day recalled. “You’re expected to be so strong physically and mentally, and that can take a large toll on a lot of people. I was able to hear first-hand from other people about what they were going through mentally. The mental side of that is really taxing … People are definitely afraid to speak up and talk about how they’re feeling.”

So at the end of her sophomore year, O’Day decided to take action. She and teammates Kylee Keenan and Caroline Hoskins ran for and became co-presidents of the school’s Athletes in Action club, and changed its primary focus to Morgan’s Message, a Northern Virginia-based nonprofit striving to strengthen the mental health of student-athletes through education and community support.

The organization, which was founded four years ago by the parents of Morgan Rodgers, a seemingly thriving women’s lacrosse player at Duke who suffered a serious knee injury before the start of her sophomore year. According to the organization, she kept family and friends in the dark while dealing with growing anxiety and depression until she ultimately died by suicide on July 11, 2019 at the age of 22.

“There’s just so much stress on these kids nowadays,” St. Paul’s coach Mary Gagnon said. “I think it’s more common than everybody realizes. We play in such a high-level league, and most of these guys have been playing on high-level clubs for years. They all have these goals and ambitions and they all want to get college scholarships. Then you add social media, and to me that’s the biggest stress. You’re constantly comparing yourself.”

As a Morgan’s Message ambassador, O’Day works to raise awareness about the challenges that student-athletes face while trying to balance the pressures of school, sports and social lives, while helping to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. She leads meetings on campus and helps plan activities such as the Gators’ annual Morgan’s Message game, scheduled to take place April 10 against Roland Park.

It’s a lot to take on for an 18-year-old, who has dreams of one day becoming a medical professional. Particularly when you realize that she’s also one of the top lacrosse players in the nation, entering this season ranked No. 6 among senior attackers by Inside Lacrosse after finishing with 46 goals and 31 assists a year ago.

Gagnon called O’Day a “leader on the field,” who uses her vast knowledge of the game to help direct the ball where it needs to go against a particular defense.

“The quarterback sees all the different coverages and knows where to put the ball,” said Gagnon, “and that’s Marleigh.”

Of course, it should be no surprise that the senior has a high lacrosse IQ. It runs in the family.

Her mom, Kerri O’Day (née Johnson), was a three-time All-American at Loyola University, helping lead the Greyhounds to the NCAA championship game in 1997. She went on to become a prominent member of the U.S. National Team, later served as Loyola’s head coach for five seasons and in 2008 was elected to the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

She’s also coached her daughter for a decade on the club level at M&D Lacrosse, where she’s watched her blossom as both an athlete and a person.

“Marleigh’s always had those traits of being a natural leader,” Kerri O’Day said. “I think more importantly, she really just is empathetic and compassionate about being this inclusive-type person. I think it was maybe in her, but I also think that she grew into this, as well … Coming from a big family may also play into being a leader and organizing.”

O’Day is the second oldest of seven siblings, each of whom had a lacrosse stick in their hands from the moment they could walk. There’s older brother Grady (19), a freshman at Loyola University; younger brother Cormac (16), a sophomore at St. Paul’s; sisters Hadleigh (13) and Landry (12); and brothers Brecon (9) and Kelton (7).

“I’ve been really able to learn from them, especially my older brother,” Marleigh said. “He got to high school before me, and I could see how big the step up was from middle to high. I’ve also been able to talk to my mom about everything. She’s been in my shoes. Then I’ve been able to work with my younger sisters and brothers with their lacrosse. I help coach them sometimes.”

It can be a scheduling challenge, Marleigh said, with her siblings sometimes playing more than a dozen games in a weekend in as many as three different states. But with such a large family, that’s the way it’s always been.

It’s a situation Marleigh thrives in. And through Morgan’s Message, she hopes to help others thrive in stressful situations, as well.

“Balancing school, social life, and then also having to play the sport at such a high level can be a lot,” O’Day said. “I’ve seen how people can rise and fall with different expectations set on them … it’s about whether you rise to the occasion or not. A lot of that isn’t because of how they play the game, but it’s mentally if they have trained themselves enough to be in those high-pressure situations and succeed.”

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