A mental health support program for the junior hockey community called Talk Today  is celebrating a major milestone --  ten years of operation. Organizers believe the growth of the service has been crucial to its success over the past decade.

According to the CHMA website,  "One of the most comprehensive mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs for amateur sports in Canada, Talk Today aims to promote suicide prevention, the mental health of young athletes and to spread awareness about the benefits of positive mental health throughout communities across Canada."

Talk Today training has rebranded to 'Team Up', and Katrina Burch of CMHA Waterloo Wellington, a leader within the program, states it's been a busy time for this resource.

"A lot of really great things have come out of this program. Originally, we delivered Safe Talk training to all of the athletes that were on the OHL teams, so that's about 50 teams across Canada," Burch stated.

"Last year alone, that was about 2800 participants," she added.

She says that's a good portion of the 8500 participants since 2014. Locally, trainers provide support to players on the Kitchener Rangers and Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

She says Team Up permits athletes to learn about winning and losing, outside of just the realm of hockey.

"When they're not as they say winning at life, they're not necessarily given the tools to cope and manage stress," Burch said.

"That's where this training comes in, so, again, in their language they can win at all aspects of life, not just on the ice," she continued to say.

Burch says a crucial aspect is to understand the importance of how mental and physical health are intertwined.

She added decreasing stigma within the community is a focus. These athletes are under immense pressure, Burch said, so helping them maintain a positive mindset is paramount.

Training includes athletes, but also doesn't exclude trainers, coaches, billets and more.

Burch went on to say making connections with other sports like lacrosse and ringette has been discussed. It just comes down to finding partners within the community to expand the service.

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