Attend Workshop on Using Sport to Address Trauma at the International Trauma Conference

Up2Us Sports Chief Program Officer Megan Bartlett will be leading a workshop on using sports to address trauma with Lou Bergholz and Sean Rose on May 31, 2017 at the 28th Annual International Trauma Conference in Boston. More information on the workshop below.

REGISTER HERE

Workshop Title:
Harnessing Your Competitive Spirit: Physical activity, trauma-sensitive coaching, league-level play, and the intervention methodologies that are shaping sports-based stabilization

Workshop Overview: 
Interested in a healing medium rooted in competency, self-regulation, identity, physical activity, rituals, routines, and pro-social connection?  Then you are interested in the unique role that sport can play in healing.  This pre-conference, on the emerging field of sports-based stabilization, will bring together practitioners from the clinical and sport worlds to examine the ways in which sport can be shaped into a therapeutic modality.  Participants will spend the day exploring the key elements of the sports-based stabilization framework: unlocking the power of physical activity; learning the skills of a trauma-sensitive coach; and, embedding the core therapeutic elements into the sport experience to create a league that promotes healing.  By participating in a sport training session, participants will learn firsthand the elements of a trauma-sensitive warm-up, how to build competency through sport drills, and the hidden opportunities that exist in sport to facilitate therapeutic conversations.  Leading practitioners in the field of sports will further bring these elements to life through stories that describe the impact of their work in sport and trauma.  Participants will leave with a “playbook” of design principles and techniques that can be integrated into any intervention, but are ideally used to build a trauma-sensitive sports league.  

This pre-conference will be active and is designed for maximum accessibility.  No previous sport experience is required and participants of all abilities are welcome.  Comfortable clothing and athletic shoes strongly recommended.

SPEAKERS

Lou Bergholz Chief Knowledge Officer Edgework Consulting

Lou has been working on the frontlines of youth development for over two decades, from residential treatment centers to camps working with children infected and affected by HIV.  The Edgework team is dedicated to working with organizations, and communities to help them solve their complex people problems.  For close to 15 years Edgework has been creating trauma-informed interventions in the US and abroad that apply academic research and clinical practice to populations without reliable access to definitive clinical care.  

Sean M. Rose, M.Ed. Executive Director JRI Connecticut

Sean has more than 22 years of experience in education, treatment, and mental health with families, children, and adolescents. He has held various leadership roles in the public and non-profit sectors, and has successfully partnered with state and local government to advocate for and serve youth with complex trauma, mental health, and behavioral health issues. Over his career, Sean has successfully managed programs aimed at enabling youth to develop to their full potential, from residential to recreational. Most recently, Sean was appointed as the Executive Director for Justice Resource Institute’s Connecticut division. He earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Lesley University and was awarded a master’s degree in education and school administration from American International College.

Megan Bartlett, MA Chief Program Officer Up2Us Sports

Megan has spent her career working in, designing, and advocating for programs that use sport as a tool for positive youth development.  At Up2Us Sports, she helped build the first national service program placing coaches as mentors for youth in underserved communities, and created the innovative training program that has provided thousands of coaches with the tools to take a trauma-sensitive approach to sport.  She has extensive experience working directly with youth as a college and youth soccer coach, camp director, and in community mental health. Megan earned a MA in Urban Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Wesleyan University.

2016: Looking Back on a Year of Up2Us Sports Coaches

Over the 2016 calendar year, we had nearly 500 coaches improving their communities through the Up2Us Sports coaching program.  We asked them to share their favorite memory.

Coach Maria - Touching Miami with Love - Miami, FL

Coach Maria and the rest of the Touching Miami with Love crew participated in a 5k walk to support one of our students who was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis.

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Coach Jackie - Chicago Run - Chicago, IL

At the beginning of our season there was a boy who told me, “Miss Jackie, I don't think I can run a long race." I told him we are going to work hard and that he'll do great! On race day we found each other towards the end of the 5K and he told me how excited he was that he'd gotten this far. I said, “do you think you can sprint towards the finish line?” and he smiled and said, “I'll race you!” We raced together and once we were done he hugged me and said, “thank you for pushing me, Miss Jackie!”

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Coach Frank - Urban Initiatives - Chicago, IL

Honestly, my favorite moments have been seeing kids from schools that I'm no longer with. At countless game days, retreats, etc. I get so many high fives, hugs, and "COACH FRANK!”'s. That makes me feel like I made a difference in their lives with the year that I spent with them last year.

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Coach Noelia - Chicago Run - Chicago, IL

My favorite coaching memory happened this past fall during our fall race with the kids. I was running with one of my 4th students, Destiny, and it was her first 5k race. During the race she did great and kept a nice and steady pace, but the moment she crossed the finish line she began to cry happy tears because she didn't think she could finish the race. Seeing her believe in herself was my favorite moment as a coach this year.

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Coach Spencer - South Eugene Rowing Club - Eugene, OR

My favorite moment (or sequence of events rather), was coaching an athlete who had tried and failed multiple times to complete a certain workout. Eventually, with enough time and input, they were able to finish this challenging workout and feel good about it. I enjoyed seeing their boosted self-esteem and progress through the fall.

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Coach Zoe - George Pocock Foundation - Seattle, WA

One of my more challenging athletes had an unexpected gold medal win at regionals, exceeding everyone's expectations. At our end of year party, she let her guard down for long enough to share a moment of mutual respect and appreciation with me, and made me feel so good to feel like I had impacted the life of this kid in a positive way, since she had certainly done the same for me.

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Coach Jacinto - enFamilia - Homestead, FL

I believe this was a year of growth for me in Up2Us Sports. I believe I developed a deeper understanding of our mentorship tactics, strategies and techniques and was able to apply them more naturally and more effectively. I believe that my youth and I hold a stronger bond than in the beginning of the year and that I have a stronger influence in their lives. I'm personally thankful for the experiences that the Up2Us Sports staff leaders have granted me, including my horrendously executed first pitch at the Marlins game and the opportunity to learn about UM's basketball team culture.

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Coach Hel Say - Soccer Without Borders - Oakland, CA

There were a lot of my favorite memories from 2016, but my very favorite memory was when my girls won their first game during the season. Seeing the girls happy is one of the best feelings in this world. They came up to me with a big smile on their faces and said, "we did it coach Hel Say because we were working together and playing together as a team." They said, “we worked so hard and now we won!” I told them, “it's not all about winning, but I'm so proud of you girls - the way you treated each other with love, respect, and caring hearts makes me happy. Plus, you respected the other team and refs and that's what sport is all about.”