My name is Steve Miller and I worked as an NHL Linesman for 21 seasons. I suffered a serious injury that required surgery, months of rehab, and lots of time to think and wonder about my future in the game. It also tested my passion for the game of hockey as an on-ice official. As I was recovering I knew I had great care for the physical side of my injury but there is also the mental side of recovering/performing, which is why I reached out for support (trust me, it took me a long time to send the email to ask for help with the mental side). In my mind it's always been "do everything on your own" and "just plug away". In sport, the perception of an athlete asking for help is often seen as showing weakness, so it was hard for me to reach out. Also, not knowing what to expect from a mental health consultant was always in the back of my mind. Saying that, I was connected with a Mental Performance Consultant and it was the best choice I made with my recovery and mental performance. I was given the mental tools to allow me to manage and focus on my recovery to get back to the NHL level as an official and consider my future goals; having guidance made my path more clear. This was an important step in my recovery and even though it was hard for me to reach out, I was made to feel comfortable from the first conversation. Over time we have built trust with each other during our discussions. As as person that has been involved with professional sports I would highly recommend reaching out for support to help guide any athlete with the mental side of sport.