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Beyond Sport’s Head In The Game (HITG) initiative has reached a new milestone: research from the program has been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Sport Psychology in Action.
Since 2023, HITG has worked with young people, caregivers, coaches, practitioners and community organizations to strengthen mental wellbeing support across youth sport. The initiative has supported 43 youth-serving nonprofits and trained more than 2,000 coaches across the United States.
“Leveling Up in Youth Sports: Lessons in Mental Health Support from the ‘Head In The Game’ Initiative” draws on two years of observations and feedback from athletes, coaches and participating organizations. It challenges the assumption that sport automatically improves mental wellbeing, showing instead that positive outcomes depend on environments intentionally designed around safety, connection and care.
The article was authored by Meredith A. Whitley of Adelphi University and Stellenbosch University, Claudia Larrea, Senior Programs Manager at Beyond Sport, and Adam Burgess, Director of Programs at Beyond Sport. It brings together academic and practitioner perspectives to offer a practical framework for organizations looking to strengthen mental wellbeing through sport.
We spoke with Claudia about what the research tells us, where coaches fit within a wider system of support and what comes next for Head In The Game.
What needs to be intentionally built into a sport environment for young people to feel safe, connected and supported?
The research makes clear that sport can be powerful, but it has to be designed to support young people’s mental wellbeing. The strongest environments are those where young people feel safe, connected and seen, and where coaches are trained to build trust, support autonomy and reinforce a sense of competence. That means going beyond drills and competition to include emotional check-ins, supportive relationships, opportunities for youth voice and practical tools for coping with stress. The research also shows that when coaches are equipped to recognize changes in behavior and start non-judgmental conversations, young people are more likely to feel supported and to talk about mental health with both adults and peers.
Head In The Game goes beyond individual coach training to advocate for changes in relationships, organizational culture and policy. Why was it important to work across all three levels?
It was important to work across all three levels because young people do not experience sport in isolated moments, they experience a whole environment. Coach training matters, but a coach can only do so much if the relationships, organizational expectations and policies around them do not reinforce the same values. At the individual level, coaches need knowledge and confidence to recognize concerns and respond with care. At the interpersonal level, young people need trusting relationships where they feel comfortable expressing what they are going through. At the structural level, organizations need policies, referral pathways and shared practices that make mental wellbeing part of the culture rather than an add-on. Working across all three levels helps ensure this work is sustainable, consistent and not dependent on one passionate coach or one strong training session.
Coaches are positioned as trusted adults who recognize concerns and begin supportive conversations, but they are not mental health professionals. What do organizations need to put in place so coaches feel prepared without asking them to take on roles they aren’t trained for?
Organizations need to create clear systems that help coaches understand both what their role is and where that role ends. Coaches can be trusted adults who notice changes, ask caring questions and help young people feel less alone, but they should not be expected to diagnose, counsel or carry a crisis on their own. That means organizations need practical training, simple tools, regular refreshers and clear referral pathways to mental health professionals or local support services. They also need crisis protocols, supervision and spaces for coaches to debrief so they are supported in the work rather than left to figure it out independently. The goal is to prepare coaches to respond with empathy and clarity while making sure the organization carries the responsibility with them.
What have the coaches, young people and community organizations involved in Head In The Game taught you that the research alone could not?
They taught us what this work looks like in real life, beyond the evidence base. The research can tell us that sport has the potential to support wellbeing, but the people closest to the work show us how that potential becomes practice. Coaches shared how training changed the questions they ask, how they respond to pressure and how they see their role as mentors. Young people showed us that small shifts, like a check-in, a breathing exercise, a journaling prompt or a coach making time to listen, can create meaningful moments of safety and connection. Organizations showed us that when mental wellbeing becomes part of program design, staff culture and leadership priorities, the ripple effect can be much bigger than one training. They reminded us that this work has to be practical, relational and rooted in the realities of each community.
You’ve helped shape Head In The Game. Was there a particular moment, story or piece of feedback that changed how you thought about the program or reaffirmed why this work matters?
I still remember when we launched the coach trainings in fall 2023. In Los Angeles, we had more than 100 coaches, and the training was split into two sessions. Part one, led by the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, focused on relationship building and trust. Part two, led by Doc Wayne Youth Services, focused on creating LGBTQ-affirming athletic spaces. The first session was crucial to the success of the second. It asked participants to be vulnerable through structured play and to get to know one another. Because of that foundation, the second session became a safer space for coaches to share their thoughts and feelings aloud, even when there were differences in opinions, experiences and perspectives.
Seeing that transformation in coaches firsthand over the span of six hours made me excited about the potential impact they could have on young people over the course of a season. Since then, I have seen not only coaches transform, but organizational leaders and organizations as well. We set out to build a program that could begin to create systems change, recognizing that this requires long-term investment. Being able to see organizational policy changes, new opportunities for organizations, participation in research studies and more advanced programming that prioritizes youth mental wellbeing has been really meaningful. We have also seen organizations use their participation in Head In The Game to unlock additional funding and deepen their commitment to this work. It has all been really special to witness.
The article identifies several opportunities for the future, including involving young people and caregivers more deeply and developing regional training hubs. Which next step feels most important to you, and why?
It depends on the age of the young people in each program and organization. For programs serving older youth, involving young people more deeply in shaping the work feels especially important. We have heard from young people that they want information that feels authentic, relatable and grounded in lived experience, and they are more likely to engage when messages come from peers or trusted voices. If we want Head In The Game to continue reducing stigma and supporting prevention, youth voice has to help lead it. That means co-creating resources, campaign content and learning experiences with young people, especially those from the communities HITG was designed to center. Regional cohorts are important because they can make support more culturally relevant and accessible, but youth involvement feels foundational to making sure the work stays honest and responsive.
For programs serving younger youth, engaging parents and caregivers is essential. The culture an organization builds should reflect the values of the families engaged in the program, which means creating shared language and understanding around youth mental wellbeing. Educating parents and caregivers about youth development, and the role that sport and family involvement can play in supporting it, can have a tremendous positive impact on young people.
As Head In The Game looks towards the future, we will ensure the work will be shaped by the young people, families, coaches and organizations closest to it.
Read the full research article (subscription required) and learn more about Head In The Game.
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