Trauma-informed coaching program aims to keep more Chicago kids in sports

Chicago’s WNBA All-Star festivities are highlighting some of the biggest names in women’s basketball, but they are also drawing attention to the coaches shaping the next generation of athletes.

In Chicago, a trauma-informed approach to coaching is changing how young people experience sports, with the goal of helping more children feel supported and stay engaged in athletics.

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For Chicago Park District Manager Yesenia Mayén, trauma-informed training provided more than professional development. It also offered insight into the kind of support she said she lacked as a child.

“I became the statistic. I dropped out of sport because I felt like I didn’t have the support that I know I needed,” Mayén said.

Now, through trauma-informed training with the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, Mayén said she is better equipped to provide that support to young athletes.

“I have a daughter,” Mayén said. “I can now see she is going to have a world where she is also welcomed.”

The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport has partnered with the Chicago Park District to train coaches using principles rooted in neuroscience. The program is designed to help coaches better understand what may be driving a child’s behavior and how to respond.

“We believe nothing heals like sport,” the organization says in a video about its work.

David Flynn of the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport said youth sports have often prioritized competition over development.

“The system itself was sort of missing the opportunity to be a developmental tool for young people, and was seen as sort of a win-at-all-costs sort of situation,” Flynn said.

According to a 2022 Ohio State University national survey, only 14% of the nation’s nearly 6 million youth sports coaches said they felt extremely prepared to support children who have experienced trauma or adversity. The survey also found that more than half had never received trauma-informed training, even though many expressed interest in it.

Flynn said the training addresses the effects trauma can have on young people.

“When young people are exposed to overwhelming stress or trauma, their brain becomes desensitized or on high alert at all times,” he said.

The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport has trained nearly 15,000 Chicago Park District directors, ambassadors and recreational leaders, reaching a system that serves 160,000 children across the city. The effort also encourages coaches to rethink traditional approaches to discipline and motivation.

“It’s the love part that is the special sauce that helps build resilience,” Flynn said.

For Mayén, the impact extends beyond the athletes she coaches.

“It’s mind opening because as a coach, you don’t realize that it’s actually healing you too,” Mayén said.

She said the ultimate goal is helping young athletes feel connected and valued.

“They’re just gonna feel like they belong, and that is the most important piece,” Mayén said.

The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport is hosting a trauma-informed training session for female coaches during All-Star Weekend on Saturday at the Obama Presidential Center.

You can learn more about the Center’s work here at https://chjs.org.