Combined Lifespan Track

This track option includes the full content of the program, including the Youth Recreation & Club Sport Track and Elite Collegiate & Professional Sport Track for a comprehensive look at athlete needs across the lifespan.

Youth Recreation & Club Sport Track

Sport social workers play a crucial role in the holistic development of youth athletes. These dedicated professionals provide a supportive and empathetic environment for young athletes, helping them navigate the challenges that come with intense training, competition, and personal growth. Sport social workers collaborate with athletes, coaches, and families to address the unique psychological aspects of sports participation, fostering resilience, coping skills, and emotional well-being. They work to create a safe space where youth athletes can openly discuss their concerns, pressures, and aspirations. Participants will learn. 

• Ethical and logistical needs in working with youth and adolescent populations; enhanced understanding of the Safe Sport program, how to address bullying and harassment, as well as current adolescent culture of the impact social media has on our youth in sports.
• Promote healthy relationships between caregivers, coaches and athletes through enhanced communication, problem solving, and conflict management.
• Encourage help-seeking behaviors for both mental health needs and mental performance needs that are different from collegiate, professional and adult athletes.
• Establish and implement strategies for mental health programming that aligns with the mission and structure of an organization, keeping in mind DEI and LGBTQ+ needs.
• Continued knowledge and education on how eating disorders, substance use, and grief are unique to athlete populations, increasing awareness in signs and symptoms among youth athletes.

Elite Collegiate & Professional Sport Track

Sport social workers play multiple roles in the lives of collegiate and professional athletes by addressing various aspects of their well-being, with a particular emphasis on providing mental health and high performance services, leading organizations as sport administrators, and helping consult on brand management and social justice initiatives. These professionals recognize the unique challenges faced by athletes within the competitive sports environment and strive to create a supportive atmosphere. By prioritizing mental health and high performance goals, these social workers contribute to the holistic development of athletes, fostering not only their physical skills but also their mental resilience and well-being, ultimately promoting a healthier and more sustainable athletic culture. Participants in this track will:

• develop a functional working knowledge of the roles that sport social workers play across all levels of social work practice;
• promote healthy relationships, encourage help-seeking behaviors, and establish and implement strategies for mental health programming that aligns with the mission and structure of an organization;
• understand the role sport plays in athletes' identities across the lifespan, embracing the "Once an Athlete, Always an Athlete" approach; and
• apply evidence-informed practices in clinical settings, research and social justice advocacy.

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