At Girls Leadership, we extend our equity-centered, social-emotional learning approach into athletic spaces, recognizing that team culture, belonging, and identity shape performance just as much as physical skill. Our Sports Trainings support coaches and sports educators in designing team environments grounded in belonging, wellness, leadership, and justice—so athletes don’t just play, they grow, connect, and lead.
Designed for coaches, athletic directors, community-based youth development staff, and sports educators working with middle and high school girls and gender-expansive youth, these modules strengthen coaches’ ability to foster team connection, individual confidence, and environments where athletes feel seen, valued, and supported.
Grounded in social-emotional learning and practice that explores and affirms gender and racial identity, these modules equip adults in athletic spaces to build environments where girls and gender-expansive youth are seen, valued, and supported as leaders—on and off the field. When the most marginalized athletes belong, every team thrives.
Our current partners in sports programming include:
What You’ll Experience
- Strategies to cultivate belonging and psychological safety on teams
- Tools and activities that strengthen communication, connection, and team wellness
- Coaching mindsets that foster confidence, resilience, and leadership
- Lessons grounded in real challenges and informed by youth voice
2-Hour Training Modules
1) Belonging in Sports: Creating the Foundation for Girls to Thrive as a Team
Build wellness, belonging, and leadership on your team.
This training addresses the critical need to create inclusive and welcoming sports environments where girls and gender-expansive youth feel a true sense of belonging. Coaches learn how fostering belonging strengthens confidence, motivation, and engagement – essential ingredients for individual growth and team success.
Participants gain equity-centered tools to build team cultures rooted in belonging, wellness, community, and leadership, helping athletes stay engaged, support one another, and thrive on and off the field.
2) The 3 C’s of Team Chemistry: Connection, Communication, and Community
Guide athletes through connection, communication, and community.
Strong teams are built through trust, shared purpose, and open communication. This training helps coaches develop the skills to foster healthy relationships, meaningful connection, and a sense of team community – all essential for collaboration and collective success.
Participants learn practical strategies to deepen team connection, strengthen communication, and nurture cohesive team culture where athletes feel heard, valued, and motivated to support one another.
3) Growth Mindset: Train the Mind, Coach the Athlete
Strengthening mindset, resilience, and motivation.
An athlete’s mindset shapes confidence, motivation, performance, and overall well-being. This training supports coaches in developing players’ self-awareness, goal-setting, and ability to embrace challenges and learn from mistakes.
Participants explore how mindsets are shaped and transformed within sports environments, gaining tools to foster perseverance, resilience, and a positive relationship with growth – in athletics and beyond.
4) The Athlete’s Circle of Support: How Coaches and Caregivers Build Resilience Together
Strengthening the network around the athlete.
Resilience is nurtured not only by an athlete’s inner strength but also by the quality of support surrounding them. This training focuses on building collaboration between coaches and caregivers to create consistent encouragement, guidance, and emotional support throughout an athlete’s development.
Participants gain practical strategies to strengthen communication and partnership between home and team environments, creating a cohesive circle of support that equips athletes with confidence, mental toughness, and tools to navigate challenges in sports and life.
5) More Than the Game: Empowering Youth Voices Through Sports
Building voice, agency, and advocacy through athletics.
Many young athletes – especially girls, gender-expansive youth, and Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized youth – encounter systemic barriers in sports spaces, from biased assumptions to exclusion from decision-making. Without opportunities to name and question these dynamics, youth often internalize injustice rather than develop skills to challenge it.
This training equips coaches to create environments where youth-led dialogue, inquiry, and action are part of team culture. Participants learn to guide athletes through critical questioning, perspective-taking, and structured advocacy practices that build confidence, agency, and leadership on and off the field.
One-Day Clinic
Coaching the Whole Athlete: Building Connected Teams, Confident Athletes, and Supportive Environments
A comprehensive approach to athlete development.
Athletes perform best when they feel connected to their team, confident in their abilities, and supported by positive environments. This full-day training equips coaches to move beyond physical skill-building and develop the whole athlete – socially, emotionally, and relationally.
Participants build skills to strengthen team cohesion, nurture athlete confidence, and cultivate supportive, inclusive team environments. The result is resilient, engaged athletes and team cultures prepared for success in sports and life.
Who These Trainings Are For
All modules are designed for:
- Coaches
- Athletic directors
- Community-based youth development staff
- Sports educators
working with middle and high school girls and gender-expansive youth in athletic and team-based settings.
Ready to Bring Girls Leadership to Your Athletics Program?
Contact info@girlsleadership.org.
To hear the latest about Girls Leadership’s programs for coaches, fill out this form.
