At the Center For Healing and Justice Through Sport (CHJS), we believe that underneath the fun and camaraderie, sport can be used as a vehicle to provide creative and accessible solutions to some of society's biggest issues.
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.
Our mission is to make sport healing for all youth and athletes everywhere. We support athletes and teams through training, consulting, and systems change, as well as through innovative programs.
We believe that healing is a right for all. And through the wide appeal and accessibility of sport, we’ve found that sport is the ideal environment for justice-oriented and healing-centered philosophies. This work changes the lives of not only participating athletes, but their families, their communities, and the world at large.
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Our work is backed by neuroscience research showing that sport—the activity that has brought humans entertainment and joy for thousands of years— has both a physiological and psychological healing effect. CHJS brings trauma-informed coaching to youth through our accessible programs and services. By bringing together the knowledge and influence of sports experts, psychologists, scientists, and strategists, CHJS equips coaches with simple, practical skills and knowledge about the brain which are proven to have a therapeutic impact on athletes, students, and participants.
Through our dynamic partnership with The Neurosequential Network and NM- Sport, known for their field leading model in education, our innovative programs and initiatives are integrating sport into the healthy therapeutic web of children youth and families to help individuals and programs who believe in a new vision for sport, one centered around healing and justice.
Get To Know Our NM-Sport Partnership
When girls play sports, the data is unequivocal: girls are both physically and mentally healthier. These aren’t just feel-good statistics – they’re hard evidence that (healing-centered) sport transform lives. That’s why we were excited to support Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nike’s multiple It’s Her Shot…
Read MoreOctober 2024 – At CHJS, we know the power of healing-centered sport for our young people and athletes. How do we take the same trauma-informed research and apply this to ourselves as coaches, parents, and instructors? Welcome trauma-informed fitness. Your everyday workout could be more than…
Read MoreCalifornia (yes, the whole state), Oct 2024 – California’s changing the game in youth sports, y’all. The star player? Coaches. Today the California Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being joined forces with Susan Crown Exchange’s Million Coaches Challenge to launch the 25×25…
Read MoreIn a recent episode of the “What I Want to Know” podcast, Megan Bartlett, founder of the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, shares insights that every coach and parent should hear. What is Healing-Centered Coaching? Megan introduces the concept of healing-centered coaching, an…
Read MoreAugust, 2024 – At CHJS, we’re all about leveraging the inherent healing aspects of sport to support all kids and their communities. But what happens when the playing field isn’t level to begin with? Enter our awesome new teammates: the Jordan Thomas Foundation (JTF). JTF,…
Read MoreAugust, 2024 – Since 2020, Fight for Children (FFC) and the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) have joined forces to revolutionize how the current landscape approaches sports and youth programs in the DMV area. FFC has been a local champion for over…
Read MoreFrom Olympic glory to little league fields: It’s time we talk about mental health in youth sports. The Paris 2024 Olympics have amazed us with incredible feats, but they’ve also sparked crucial questions about the pressure on athletes – even at the youth level. Our…
Read MoreJoe Smith – East Coast Manager In our most recent Staff Spotlight, meet Joe Smith, our newest member of the CHJS team working as our East Coast Manager! Where are you from/where did you grow up? College Park / PG County Maryland What sports do…
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