On Tuesday, White Bear Lake Area High School in Minnesota faced Cottage Grove's Park High School in boys varsity soccer. It wasn't a typical game; it was one dedicated to mental health awareness.

"I thought, we have a voice and platform, so let's bring awareness to it," said White Bear Lake varsity boys soccer coach and history teacher Taelynn Gittin.

Mental health is something near and dear to Gittin's heart.

"I struggled a lot in college athletics with my own mental health," Gittin said. "We're in an endemic of mental health crisis for students and student athletes."

So student athletes, fans, staff and spectators for both teams flooded the field wearing shirts saying "Mental Health Matters", all in the hope to bring awareness to the topic.

"We don't talk about it as much as I think we should," said Grayson Anderson, a junior on the team. "I know it's just not athletes, it's everybody."

Organizations like Prairie Care, which provides psychiatric care for children, adolescents and adults across Minnesota, joined the effort.

"When school starts, it becomes a stressor in young kids' lives. The school year can be a tough time," said Kristy Weisser, of Prairie Care.

A tribute to lives lost to suicide also showed just how many are impacted.

"A lot of people have been touched by mental health issues," Gittin added, saying it's something you shouldn't be ashamed of. "If we can impact one person today and get the information out to at least one person today, then it will be a successful event."

Data from the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey said almost 44% of students in grades eight, nine and 11 expressed they're going through mental distress.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.

In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.