(COLORADO SPRINGS) —Amazon Prime Video will debut a documentary short featuring a Colorado Springs nonprofit working to combat military suicides and suicidal ideation on the first day of Mental Health Awareness Month, May 1.
The documentary follows the Military Basketball Association (MBA), which was founded in 2017 to promote the Military Athlete. The non-profit also supports nearly 1,000 players, both veteran and active-duty military, on 50 teams across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. MBA organizes and hosts local and national events to bring awareness to behavioral health concerns that veterans face every day.
Besides showcasing military athletes, the league also brings awareness to combat-related post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) or military service. “MBA: Life Through Basketball” opens with a soldier’s recollection of loss in Afghanistan.
“You just have to react and go into your training mode,” retired First Sergeant Angel “Ace” Acevedo said in the video. Retired Major Mike Meyers added, “You can survive sniper fire, IEDs, all the different things that happen to you while you’re deployed. But your greatest threat is yourself when you get back home.”
Both Meyers and Acevedo co-founded MBA to prevent suicide, fight the stigma of mental health, build resiliency, and provide an outlet for the trauma associated with military service.
“It means the world that Amazon Prime Video is publishing this documentary. The MBA is a global organization with a global mission. Amazon Military and Amazon Prime are seen all over the world, and they provide transition opportunities for our veterans. This is an extremely important moment for veterans,” said Meyers.
MBA: Life Through Basketball can be found on Prime Video beginning Thursday, May 1.

