Ball State University has received a $167,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Maternal and Child Health Division, along with additional funding from the Office of the Provost, to establish the Indiana Coaching Resource Center.
The center will build upon existing coaching education initiatives while expanding resources and training for youth and high school coaches, performing arts directors, and mental health providers. The initiative will focus on supporting student-athlete and performer mental health, life skills development, safe and inclusive environments, and positive team cultures.
The project’s outreach will prioritize Indiana counties with high rates of youth suicide. Suicide remains one of the top three leading causes of death for Indiana children and adolescents between 10 and 19 years old.
"Our primary objective with the Indiana Coaching Resource Center is to reduce preventable deaths and advance the quality of life for young people," said Dr. Jerry Reynolds, project lead. "By delivering targeted training modules, we will increase the capacity of mental health providers and coaches to recognize and address student mental health concerns in the counties that need support the most."
The center’s work extends the University’s existing Coach Beyond—Indiana initiative for an additional two years. Originally launched in partnership with The Ohio State University, Coach Beyond provides free online and in-person training to youth sport coaches across the state, emphasizing positive youth development, safety, inclusion, and strategies for supporting athletes' mental health.
The center's new work plan includes training at least 500 youth coaches statewide in positive youth development practices during year one, and 700 coaches in year two. Additionally, the initiative expects to train at least 50 licensed mental health providers to lead future training sessions.
"This grant allows us to broaden our educational outreach beyond athletics to include performing arts and other meaningful adults in the lives of young people," said Dr. Lindsey Blom, co-principal investigator and professor of sport and exercise psychology in the College of Health. "We are working to help youth leaders develop safe and inclusive sport and performance environments, positive team cultures, and life skills development."
The Indiana Coaching Resource Center aligns with Ball State’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and applied research. Alongside Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Blom, the project is co-led by Dr. Nick Elam from the Teachers College, with potential future collaborations planned with other colleges across campus.
"Reaching our youth requires a comprehensive approach," Dr. Elam said. "We want to decrease the barriers coaches and educators face in accessing high-quality training so more professionals are equipped to support our students."
Throughout the grant period, the initiative will assess coach confidence levels and conduct program evaluation research to better understand the impact of coaching education on professional abilities and behavior.
For more information about the Indiana Coaching Resource Center or to request training sessions, contact Dr. Reynolds at
jfreynolds@bsu.edu or 765-285-1015.