‘What Can We Learn From This?:' Mustang Public Schools Prioritizing Students' Mental Health

News 9 continues back-to-school coverage with a look at Mustang Public Schools ahead of their first day.

On Sunday night, Mustang’s high school football team kicked off the new year with a midnight practice to commemorate the first day they were allowed to take the field. 

“It’s the first minute of the first day that we can legally practice,” Mustang head football coach, Lee Blakenship, said.

Of course, winning is on his mind. “Our ultimate goal is to win a state championship here for Mustang High School,” Blankenship said. 

But that's not how Blankenship defines success for his team.

“Our purpose this year is to love our boys. We want every one of the kids on our team to know that there is a man that loves them, that cares about them, that wants to see them, be successful beyond just football,” Blankenship said. 

It’s a bigger picture that’s more important than ever to Mustang Public Schools.

“It’s been an extremely tough year. We’re not even going to candy-coat that or shy away from it. It was a tough year for students, for staff, and for the community,” Mustang Public Schools Superintendent Charles Bradley said.”

Following several tragedies at the high school, two of which centered around mental health battles, Bradley says MPS is ready to enter a new chapter with intention and purpose.

“What can we learn from this? What can we get ahead of to help through that and make it more of a it’s okay to talk about mental health,” Bradley said. 

With a robust crisis response team and professional counselors on hand for students and staff, Bradley says he wants MPS to be a safe space for all. “Just let kids know that we’re here for them, we love them and we’re ready for them to come back,” Bradley said. 

And it all starts with teachers like Coach Blankenship. “If all they learned this season is how to block and how to tackle and how to throw a football we have failed them,” he said. 

He makes the success of his students a championship of its own. “I say it all the time, we don’t use kids to win a game here at Mustang. We’re going to use a game to win in the hearts and minds of our kids,” Blankenship said. 

Mustang Public Schools goes back to school on August 14.