Meet Dr. Brian Gearity and Khali Blackman-Newton - trailblazers in coach education, shaking up how coaches are trained and empowered across the U.S. Get ready for an eye-opening conversation on the future of coaching!

The CSSJ Making Moves podcast presents its new season, featuring host Lisa Bonta Sumii, LCSW, CMC, founder of AthMindset and mental performance coach for the Oakland Roots Soccer Club, along with co-host Andrea Corrigan, sociology senior, lifelong athlete, nonprofit leader and CSSJ student.

This episode features two guests with expertise in coaching and sport equity:

Dr. Brian Gearity (Dr. G) is the founder and director of the Master of Arts in Sports Coaching at the University of Denver, a sports psychology expert, and former strength coach for the Cleveland Indians and University of Tennessee.

Khali Blackman Newton is the director of community engagement for Positive Coaching Alliance in Northern California and founder of the Sport Equity and Access Coalition, advocating for social justice in sport, especially in Black and Brown communities.

In this episode, Andrea introduces our season theme of how sport shapes us individually, culturally, and systematically, and how it can be used as a tool for justice. Lisa interviews Brian and Khali and discusses the following topics:

@ 2:35 - The state of coach education in the US (Dr. G calls it a "dumpster fire")

@ 4:15 - Top priorities for revamping coaching education systems

@ 6:42 - The importance of changing mental models about coaching

@ 8:15 - Mental fortitude development in coaching and its impact on athletes

@ 11:34 - Building a foundation for safe, healthy coaching environments

@ 14:35 - How young coaches can advocate for better education and training

@ 16:17 - The intrinsic rewards of coaching and community impact

@ 18:09 - The need for organizational coach development and resources

@ 19:06 - The socioeconomic barriers to coaching and equitable compensation

@ 21:49 - How to create paid coaching pathways and more equitable systems

@ 23:53 - Final thoughts on coaching education and getting involved

Resources:

Oakland Sport Equity Coalition - Only 14% of Oakland youth get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity daily

Positive Coaching Alliance - www.positivecoach.org

University of Denver - Sports Coaching MA Program

Funding:

Funding for Making Moves was provided by Cal State University East Bay and the Center for Sport and Social Justice. Make sure to catch all past and future episodes of Making Moves. Streaming now on SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Big thanks to everyone who made this episode possible!

AthMindset - https://www.athmindset.io/

SportsE Media - https://sportsepreneur.com/

Part 2 of this coaching series will focus on systematic equity and diversifying coaching.