Victor Johnson – CHJS Los Angeles Program Manager

Meet Victor, our born and raised Los Angeles coaching guru, spearheading numerous healing-centered sport initiatives throughout the county. Learn more about Victor and the CHJS work he’s up to throughout the region. 

Where are you from/where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I’m half Japanese, have family in Yokohama, Japan, and was blessed to visit them for at least one month every Summer of my life. So, I consider Yokohoma/Tokyo places that raised me as well.

What sports do you play?

Basketball (best sport in the world). However, I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the game of football (soccer).

Tell us about sports in Los Angeles. What’s the vibe? What’s most popular?

Pro sports (and entertainment) run Los Angeles. We have almost two professional teams per sport so naturally rival sport culture is fun and real. I feel like L.A. is a basketball city (Go Lakeshow!), but we all love the Dodgers too. We’re obviously the most hated sport city in America – everyone wants to “BEAT LA”, but we love it.

As great as sport is, what do you wish would change?

I brought one of my best friends to L.A. (who is originally from New York) and one of his first observations was that everyone was outside either jogging and biking down the street, playing some type of sport at the many parks, or being active at the beach. 

I wish I could make this observation a reality for all people in L.A.- specifically the underserved black/brown populations in parts of South and East LA. Streets, parks, and nature don’t look as welcoming in South Central L.A. as they do on the westside in Santa Monica, Playa Del Rey, or Hermosa/Manhattan Beach – which is intentional, but don’t get me started 🙂

What do you wish all coaches knew?

I wish all coaches knew that the extent of your skills as a coach doesn’t have to stop at “I coach how I was coached”. There’s a quote I love that sums it all up for me that should encourage coaches to explore refining their tools as a coach for a bigger purpose: “Sport is like a double-edged sword. Swung in the right direction, the sword can have tremendously positive effects, but swung in the wrong direction it can be devastating. The sword is held by adults who supervise children’s sports. Whether sport is constructive or destructive in the psychological development of young children greatly depends on the values, education, and skills of those adults.” – Rainer Martens (mic drop)

 

What goals do you have for CHJS Los Angeles?

I want all coaches – regardless of background – to make sport constructive and healing for ALL youth in L.A. and I believe CHJS has a huge role in making this the new identity of Los Angeles. With our current partnerships between Nike LA, City of LA Rec and Parks, LA Clippers, LA Dodgers, and LAUSD Beyond the Bell – to name a handful – I see the investment that major pro teams, apparel brands, schools, and city entities are making to see a similar vision for our young people and communities in L.A., as well.

Are there any events or training you want people to know about and attend?

We have a few large coach training events happening over the next couple of months that we think coaches would love to be part of. Want to join? Email me vjohnson@chjs.org

May 5 // Clippers Coaches Clinic (DTLA)

May 11 // Dodgers Dreamteam Coaches Training (Inglewood/Hawthorne)

June 1 // Dodgers Dreamteam Coaches Training (Dodger Stadium)

 

Want to join Victor in building the healing-centered sport movement throughout Los Angeles? Reach out to Victor, vjohnson@chjs.org