Managing Challenging Behavior in Youth Sports

Challenging behavior is extremely common in sports, from little league and town soccer fields to professional arenas. When it comes to kids and sports, it can be especially hard to balance fear, disappointment, pressure, and other strong feelings with a sense of fair play, healthy developmental experiences, internal motivation, and participation.

Think:Kids hosted a webinar with experts in youth sports and behavior for a conversation featuring practical strategies on how to handle challenging behavior in youth athletics that can help young people cope with adversity and even heal from trauma.

Our panel discussed ways to not only effectively manage challenging behavior in youth but to do it in a way that does not leverage power, which can be damaging. We discussed ways to use sports as the perfect natural opportunity to promote healing, build relationships, and provide opportunities for kids to develop skills and character.

Our speakers:

• Megan Bartlett
  Founder, The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport
• Christopher Barfield
  School Leader, Urban Dove Team Charter School
• Natasha Tatartcheff-Quesnel, MSW
  Certified Trainer and Consultant, Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Rudy Vejar
  President & Head Coach, East Fullerton Little League Baseball
  Education Program Trainer & Supervisor, Olive Crest
• Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.
  Principal of the Neurosequential Network
• J. Stuart Ablon, Ph.D.
  Founder and Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital