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Seattle, WA — In September, CHJS’s Adrienne Moore and Chris Reed facilitated a coaching session on Healing-Centered Coaching and Inclusive Coaching Strategies with 60+ Kraken Youth Hockey coaches.

Here’s an excerpt from the article. “The night was right on target for the Kraken Youth Hockey Association’s mission to “create a fun, positive and inclusive space that offers access to the ice, cutting-edge curriculum, and impactful coaching.” Plus, equally a perfect fit for “creating access and opportunities to youth so everyone who wants to play, can play,” one of the three pillars of action for One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena.

Adrienne Moore, director of movement building for the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) was co-leader for the night. She was quickly impressed with the coaches group as she dug into the topic of how kids’ brains process stress and how trust is an antidote and why “patterned repetitive rhythmic activity” (in hockey’s case, one example is the sound of pucks on sticks) is a direct route to transforming sport into a healing medium.

The idea that sport can teach and heal “and not harm is something most coaches understand,” says Moore, who played softball for Western Washington University before embarking on a career that blends the principles of youth cognitive development and sports.

“They get into coaching youth sports because they think that way,” says Moore when asked about audience intention and participation in September’s training. “Because there is not enough coaching education out there so when people get concepts or strategies that really resonate with that philosophy, they lean forward in their chairs.

“There were lots of questions, lots of feedback, and what we [Chris Reed, CHJS lead consultant was co-presenter] love to see is the room talking to each other. We pose a question or a concept and a coach would ask a question and we’d hear lots of wisdom in the room that’s not just us at the front. So coaches are sort of brainstorming back and forth: ‘Here’s what I do that works.’ It was really hockey-specific and really specific to the context of One Roof. That’s top-tier stuff for us.”

For the full article and to learn more about the Kraken Youth Hockey Association, click here.

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