Nothing Heals Like Sport - A Playbook for Coaches

• Useful for coaches seeking trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches
• Helps athletic directors and organizations embed brain-based coaching strategies in their culture
• Supports youth-serving programs working with athletes impacted by adversity or inequity
• Practical during practice planning, team culture building, or in moments of athlete dysregulation
• Applicable across sports and settings—schools, community clubs, or recreational leagues

This resource makes complex neuroscience accessible for coaches and translates theory into everyday strategies—like checklists for safe environments, regulation activities, relationship-building tools, and sample practice plans. The playbook reframes sport as a therapeutic and resilience-building space, reminding us that small moments of connection, rituals, and predictability can be as powerful as clinical interventions.

• How might your current coaching methods unintentionally overlook trauma or stress in athletes?
• Which simple relational strategies (greetings, rituals, high-fives) could you integrate consistently?
• What structures do you have to help athletes regulate before, during, or after games and practices?
• How can you ensure your team culture is inclusive, predictable, and rooted in unconditional positive regard?
• Who can you partner with (mental health professionals, local organizations) to deepen trauma-responsive coaching in your setting?
• How will you prepare staff or volunteers to use brain-based coaching strategies with confidence?
• Resources and strategies like this can help coaches and other people working in soccer to support players with their mental health. It’s important to note that these approaches do not replace a need for professional treatment, care, and consultation. 
• If you have a Safeguarding concern, please visit the USSF Safeguarding Hub for additional information about how to make a report. If you or someone you know is at an immediate risk, please contact your local emergency services.

This resources has been developed by the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport in partnership with Dr. Bruce Perry and the Neurosequential Network. 

CHJS is a national nonprofit organization 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.

Their mission is to make sport healing for all youth and athletes everywhere. They support athletes and teams through training, consulting, and collective action, as well as through innovative programs. Learn more at https://chjs.org/.