Dolphins focus on mental health during surprise visit at Miami-Dade middle school

MIAMI – Students from Madison Middle School received a special visit from the Miami Dolphins Tuesday morning.

Dolphins players and cheerleaders made a pit stop at the school before practice to inform students about their character playbook program.

The program was designed to get students to interact with the Dolphins staff to learn about mental health, being inclusive and how to prevent bullying by building positive relationships.

Local 10 News spoke with students at the school who said they were grateful to be part of the program and that it could save a lot of lives.

“I learned some things about bullying gossip,” said Ambrosio Riostabares, an eighth grader at Madison Middle School. “I feel like that was the main thing in this community and it should really be resolved.”

Dolphins outside linebacker Chase Winovich had an insightful message for anyone who’s experiencing any form of bullying.

“As much as a handshake (or) a pat on the back is just letting them know that you are not in this alone, and it goes a long way,” he said.

The program is a partnership between the NFL and Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

The overall message of the program was to be kind and treat others how you want to be treated.


About the Authors

Joseph Ojo joined Local 10 in April 2021. Born and raised in New York City, he previously worked in Buffalo, North Dakota, Fort Myers and Baltimore.

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

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