As the excitement of March Madness continues to brew, let this serve as your reminder that your favorite athletes are humans before they are basketball players. Previous years have shown disappointing quantities of harassment and abuse directed towards athletes during March Madness, particularly women. One study conducted after the 2024 March Madness tournament cited an unidentified athlete receiving over 1400 harassing messages in a two week span. This is unacceptable behavior towards individuals who are worth more than their production on the court. Fans- grab your popcorn and get excited, but remember that your words  matter, and at the end of the day we are all humans. Lets work together to be supportive and encouraging of athletes at all levels, and not make March Madness an exception to this💚 #marchmadness #basketball #athletementalhealth #humanfirst