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June 14, 2024
We’re thrilled to announce expanded Head In The Game Coaches Training (“By Month” tab) for 2024 – with even more expert facilitators and topics! The training is focused on supporting US coaches to help address the wellbeing needs of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) youth.
In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared youth mental health to be a national emergency in the United States. For youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth and girls, rates have been even higher, with access to resources often out of reach. In response, Beyond Sport and the Z Zurich Foundation created Head In The Game, a comprehensive, multi-year program to improve mental health outcomes for 13- to 19-year-olds in the United States. It focuses on prevention, promotion and attitudinal change.
This year, we’re offering opportunities for both new and returning youth coaches from across the US to be trained through a mental wellbeing-lens which includes recognizing signs of stressors, empowering youth and creating stigma-free spaces. 2024 facilitators include: Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport (CHJS), Doc Wayne, Get Fit Fly Right, Soccer Without Borders (SWB) and US Center for Mental Health and Sport (USC-MHS).
Healing-Centered Sport – A crash course on the brain, an exploration of the three ways sport can contribute to healing, and a look at how to integrate brain-based, healing-centered strategies into sport experiences.
Dates: July 9 | October 1
TAPtalks – Conversations that bring self-awareness to the forefront of mental health and mental hygiene. Offered as a self-paced course with a live virtual component to put it all into practice.
Dates: June 20 – October 10
Creating LGBTQ-Affirming Athletic Spaces – Curated by LGBTQ-identified youth development professionals, explore what it means to proactively create LGBTQ-affirming athletic spaces.
Dates: August 5-23 | August 15 | September 9-27 | October 3
FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER CLICK HERE
Application of Healing-Centered Sport – This session is designed to reflect on the journey since our initial workshop. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences, discuss the challenges they faced, and celebrate the successes achieved while implementing the tools and strategies learned.
Dates: August 7 | November 13
Application of LGBTQ-Affirming Athletic Spaces – This session will provide a platform for participants to discuss their experiences in applying LGBTQ-affirming strategies in athletic settings. Participants will be able to share common barriers and brainstorm solutions, while fostering a sense of community and mutual support among participants.
Dates: July 10 | October 23
Coaching in Communities Experiencing Violence – This workshop offers essential strategies and approaches for coaches working in high- stress and high-violence communities. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, coaches will learn how to create supportive athletic spaces that address the unique needs of their communities.
Dates: September 19 | October 24 | November 14
ACT! Certification – The objective of this certification is much like those of a first aid course for physical health. Participants learn the signs and symptoms of a mental health challenge and/or crisis, how to de-escalate a situation to avoid harm to oneself or others, and what pathways are available for additional professional support. This training includes local and national mental health resources that can be utilized after the session should they ever be needed.
Dates: August 21 | September 25 | October 9
FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER CLICK HERE
Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport (CHJS): CHJS is a national nonprofit working to ensure that more young people and athletes have access to sport experiences that are healing-centered, inclusive and work to address issues of systemic injustice.
Doc Wayne: Doc Wayne provides training, tools and services that address emotional, behavioral, traumatic, racial, gender and cultural-based barriers by providing equitable access to better mental health for all.
Get Fit Fly Right: Get Fit Fly Right is on a mission to change how mental health is approached in sports by providing strategies that bring self-awareness to the forefront of mental hygiene and cultivating safe spaces and authentic connection.
Soccer Without Borders (SWB): SWB creates belonging through soccer, education and community and delivers programs that are designed for young people to develop a sense of belonging and the skills needed to build social capital and strengthen positive identity development.
US Center for Mental Health and Sport (USC-MHS): USC-MHS focuses on making sport environments a place where all involved can experience support for their mental health, by providing resources, training and support to help make each sport space inclusive and a positive experience.
All participating coaches will receive a Certificate of Completion upon request and will also be invited to participate in an online Learning Community. Join the interactive Head In The Game Learning Community today to stay up to date on the latest in advancing youth mental wellbeing. It brings together youth sports coaches, sports-based youth development non-profits, sports and mental wellbeing experts, athletes and teams from across the sports sector – along with Campaign Collaborators – to connect, learn, share and inspire action.
Learn more about the Head In The Game program HERE.
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