CalHOPE recognizes Cal Lutheran University soccer player, Dorian Darghali for his leadership and advocacy around student-athlete mental health. During high school, Dorian began to experience severe anxiety, leading to isolation and panic attacks.
His first anxiety attack occurred moments after stepping onto the pitch for Chatsworth High School. What had once been a place of calm and confidence became a source of physical distress and mental anguish. Like many athletes, Dorian felt pressure to hide his struggle, worrying it would be seen as a weakness and cost him opportunities, respect, or playing time.
Over time, Dorian learned he was not the only player with struggles. Many of his teammates were quietly dealing with anxiety, depression, burnout, and overwhelming academic and athletic pressure. The realization that these challenges were widespread motivated Dorian to act.
Channeling his experience with advocacy, Dorian became a vocal supporter of student-athlete mental health reform. He wrote an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times urging California to adopt mandatory mental health training for coaches, similar to Ohio’s model, and supported legislation like AB 2411, which empowers youth mental health boards, particularly challenging harmful norms that discourage male athletes from seeking help. During his freshman season, Dorian appeared in four matches and scored his first collegiate goal against Caltech.
“Opening up showed me that I wasn’t alone, and that talking about mental health doesn’t make you weak. It gives you the strength to keep going and to help others do the same,” said Dorian.
