As a leader and convener of the sports-based youth development sector (SBYD) and in response to COVID-19 , Laureus USA launched Laureus Virtual Training Camp, a series of online trainings and discussions that allowed SBYD professionals to stay connected and grow during these challenging time. Since April 2020, we have hosted 35 of these virtual events and seen over 1200 individuals across the country and even the world participate and many professional athletes join us to provide a welcome. These trainings have ranged on topics from How to Engage Youth Virtually to Anti-Racism and Sport and provided a much-needed platform for leaders in our sector to continue to invest in themselves and their craft.
We now use our VTC platform to host national trainings and events periodically that are open to any and all individuals in the youth sports sector with the goal of continuing to grow the work of #SportforGood.
July 23, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM ET: Building a Culture of Character-Driven Leadership
Presented by Strive
Great leadership is about finding the best in yourself in order to inspire the best in those around us. In this session presented by Strive: How You Lead Matters, participants will explore key strategies to develop a culture that fosters self-aware leaders; individuals who celebrate their strengths and brush off their mistakes in order to grow. Through games, self-reflection and interactive discussions, attendees will leave the session ready to…
May 28, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM ET: Change Your Coaching in 7 Words or Less
Presented by Coach Across America
This interactive session from Coach Across America teaches participants a collection of strategies built around phrases, each being 7 words or less, that we can say to kids to help build meaningful relationships and provide powerful support in and out of the sports context.
Recording Coming Soon
July 10, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM ET: Sport as a Tool for Overcoming Bias
Presented with The Center for Healing & Justice Through Sport
The challenges we face in the US around inequality are systemic – 400+ years in the making so moving toward a more just America takes sustained efforts and investment over the long term. The US sports community is doing a lot to make an impact around inequality – there are curricula, guidelines, and trainings being created by experts that use sport and physical activity to address these issues. Still though, there is a broader issue at hand – a fear of “the other” and an endemic belief of differences that are not equal. At the heart of this is the way the brain is organized to create bias against someone not like you. This session will provide training on how to use sport and physical activity to counter preconceived bias about someone – it could be race, could be religion, could be ethnicity. Participants will learn how we can use sport to counter the hard-wiring of biases against those who don’t look like you, don’t speak like you, maybe don’t believe in the same things as you.
April 24, 12:00 PM-1:30 PM ET: The Power of Competence
Presented with Up2Us Sports
Sports coaching is about skill-building. Understanding the power of skill-building is also foundational to linking the skills that kids are learning on the court or field to other parts of their lives. Participants in this session explore strategies for deepening and accelerating the skill-building process.’
Coaches will be able to:
November 2, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET: How to Give & Receive Feedback
Presented with Change Impact
In this session, participants will reflect on how they both give and receive feedback, and how they can improve upon giving feedback to others. The group will also learn a feedback model and practice applying it to real life scenarios they bring to the session. Finally, participants will learn tools and strategies to create a practical application in their day-to-day work, including conversations around power dynamics and effective communication.
Recording coming soon
October 19, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET: Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth
Presented with Rainbow Labs
Join our transformative virtual session during LGBTQ+ History Month this fall, tailored for practitioners working with LGBTQ+ youth. Discover the world of inclusive spaces and youth empowerment through sports, equipping yourself with valuable knowledge, tools, and strategies to create supportive environments. Through dynamic workshops, expert-led discussions, and interactive case studies, unlock the power of sports in fostering resilience, self-expression, and personal growth among LGBTQ+ youth.
Recording coming soon
September 21: Virtual Training Camp: Building Positive Program Culture
Presented with Up2Us Sports
Teams with a strong, positive culture help youth feel connected and safe. There are four things coaches can do to build this culture: follow a strict behavior code; practice positive traditions; provide opportunities to matter; and help kids make friends. This session explores how coaches can create a strong culture that supports their other programming efforts.
Coaches will be able to:
June 29: Virtual Training Camp: The Power of Storytelling in Fundraising
Presented by Dave McGoy, ASSIST Consulting
Stories make our work with young people more understandable and compelling to others, and they give us the power to connect with others on an emotionally-charged level. Effective fundraising is about connecting with prospective donors in ways that lead them to care deeply about your organization’s mission. This interactive workshop will provide tips on how to create a narrative that inspires, educates, and moves donors to take action.
Link to Recording (Passcode: $x@B?*F6)
April 13: Virtual Training Camp: Healing Centered Sport 102
Presented with The Center for Healing Justice Through Sport
This session will dive deeper into how prioritizing skill development, meaningful relationships and a positive and inclusive team culture can drive social and emotional learning. This session is for coaches who have already participated in an introductory level training and are looking to expand their toolkit.
Link to Recording (Passcode: +68BYrC=)
April 6: Virtual Training Camp: Healing Centered Sport 101
Presented with The Center for Healing Justice Through Sport
This session explores how coaches can create environments that prioritize skill development, meaningful relationships, and a positive team culture and provides practical, tangible strategies that coaches can take away and use to make their practices more engaging and inclusive.
Link to Recording (Passcode: 69Sj@2T&)
March 16: Virtual Training Camp: Collective Care for Coaches
Presented with Cooper Thompson
This session will be an introduction to the concept of collective care. We’ll spend time learning why collective care is important along with discussing some ways to work towards creating collective care spaces in our Sport for Good communities.
Link to Recording (Passcode: 8#a&8FQl)
Feb 2: Virtual Training Camp: How to Coach Girls
Presented with The Center for Healing Justice Through Sport
Girls participate in sport at lower rates than boys at all ages, but it is not because they don’t enjoy the key components of sport: being competitive, feeling athletic, reaching goals, and building a team. The reality is that girls have extra challenges to overcome when it comes to staying in the game. Girls need the physical, mental, academic, and social benefits that sport participation has been shown to give, so programs need to do all they can to help girls stay involved.
Link to Recording (Passcode: 9uURv^&V)
Watch 2020 Virtual Training Camp Session here Watch 2021 Virtual Training Camp Session here Watch 2022 Virtual Training Camp Session here
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