Nothing Heals Like Sport
My position as executive director over the Livwell Community Center non-profit has provided the platform to share information and opportunities related to the positive benefits of sport. I’ve been working with the Livingston County Workforce Development & Youth Bureau to identify opportunities to educate on the benefits of sport and provide additional platforms for sport impact in our community. The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport recently published a playbook to provide sport coaches with skills and strategies that are intended to help develop and support today’s athletes. The article itself is a rather lengthy read so I’ve broken down some key elements / facts related to the study below:
It’s important for coaches to understand the way an athlete’s brain processes adversity and responds to challenges. If athlete is pushed too hard in an environment that they consider unsafe or unsupported, their performance on the field/court won’t progress to the desired skill building outcome.
Interesting Statistic - “If we make coaches 5% more trauma informed, or developmentally sensitive, we will have more therapeutic impact on children than if we trained an entire new cohort of trauma therapists.”
Movement and activity are key emotion regulators for a person’s brain.
Athletes that are well-regulated, continue to strengthen their ability to respond to stress. They become more resilient and are less likely to overreact to stress.
Showing genuine interest and asking young people questions about themselves is one of the best ways coaches can show they value the contribution of every athlete. As a coach do you ask your athletes questions like" “What can I do to help?”
Creating a safe environment - Kids are safest when they are around people they trust, they have control over their experiences, and they know what to expect.
Strategy for Practice Transitions - A men’s college soccer team created a dedicated “fun filed” to use during the transition to practice. All players start on the fun field where they can do whatever they want and “shake off the day” before transitioning to practice.
The coaching playbook includes practice plans with examples of warm-up and cool down activities. I encourage all coaches to read through it as it takes a data based approach to the impact of sport on young athletes. Here is a link to the full article “Nothing Heals Like Sport.”
Livwell, Be Well,
Don
dmills@livwellcenter.org