Dubbo CYMS and St John's continue mental health focus with training and Luke Kennedy seminar

It's a marquee battle between two of the biggest names in the western area but the importance of the fixture pales in comparison to other events the club has been involved with this week.

In fact, the mental health training for players, coaches and volunteers undertaken recently has been described as more meaningful and important than a grand final win.

More than 300 players, coaches, volunteers and family members from both the St John's junior club and CYMS seniors attended a seminar run by mental health advocate Luke Kennedy on Tuesday.

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The event focused on self-confidence, resilience and self-worth and it came after both clubs put all coaches - junior and senior - through mental health first-aid training earlier this year.

It's part of a concerted effort to make a difference in the community and to be able help those involved inside and outside of the game of rugby league.

"It's a long-term thing," CYMS president and one of the club's mental health volunteers, Nick Sykes, said.

"We want to be able to help anyone involved with the club and develop some tools for life in general.

"Everyone goes through tough times in life at different stages and there's different circumstances so it's about trying to help people when they go through those times and giving them tools and resources to deal with them."

Sykes said they were lucky enough to receive a grant through the state government's mental health sports fund to run the event but a lot of volunteers had to put in the work to make that funding a reality.

Organising events like the one on Tuesday also takes a lot of time and effort as volunteers and coaches are also in the middle of a busy pre-season campaign.

But for Sykes and those involved, it's all worth it.

"We've got really good and passionate committees who really care about the people, not just the football," Sykes said.

"It's a pretty good way to be able to help all these people involved in the club."

St John's mental health volunteer Miranda Richardson said Tuesday was just the latest example of the club doing what it could to help young players and teenagers who are preparing to take that next step in life.

Players from the ages of 13-to-17 attended the seminar with Kennedy.

"The event is part of a larger mental health program that focuses on the mental health of our club community," she said.

"Healthy Minds, Healthy Teams is a program that focuses on supporting the challenges that face our youth as well as volunteers.

"This focus from the club is about supporting our club members holistically both on and off the field."

Kennedy's seminar was described as "outstanding" and he tailored two sessions to the junior and senior groups.

"All the people who attended will benefit, and so will the coaches who attended the mental health first aid course with Tim Carr at Marathon (Health) last month," Sykes added.

"It's really beneficial."

The training course for coaches helped them learn how to identify people who might be going through a difficult time and allow them to pass on tools and resources needed.

CYMS has long been a club which prides itself on the impact it can make, with many players over the years crediting the Fishies for helping them with aspects of life like fitness or employment.

As someone who has been around the club for a number of years, Sykes said it's special to see how rugby league can help changes lives for the better.

"It's a lot more rewarding than winning a footy grand final, that's for sure," Sykes said.

"The club is all about being a family and helping each other."

Healthy Minds, Healthy Teams has been an active program for St Johns for almost five years and it will continue, with additional presenters and courses from the likes of The Enemy Within, Gotch4Life and local health services set for the future.

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