Ball State Offers Free Training for Indiana Youth Coaches as National Effort Surpasses One Million Milestone

Topics: Community Engagement, Faculty

October 6, 2025

Ball State University's Coach Beyond-Indiana initiative is inviting coaches and educators statewide to take advantage of free, virtual trainings that teach research-based strategies for supporting young athletes' mental health, skill development, and personal growth.

Offered through a partnership with The Ohio State University LiFE Sports program, U.S. Council for Athletes' Health (USCAH) and funded by the Susan Crown Exchange, the online sessions are open to any Indiana youth-sport coach and can be completed at each participant's own pace. The courses cover a range of topics-including Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Health, Mental Health 101, Youth Coaching, Mental Strategies for Athletic Performance, and Promoting Life Skills Development through Sport. Each course is free of charge and counts toward Professional Growth Points (PGPs) for teacher licensure renewal.

To register, participants should visit go.osu.edu/CBxUSCAH and select "Create new account with Program Code." When prompted, they should enter the code SCsports, choose "N/A" for Options 1 and 2, and complete the required account information. After confirming their account by email, coaches may log in to begin the courses. Upon completion, participants can email [email protected] to request a PGP certificate.

"Quality coaching goes beyond wins and losses-it's about helping kids thrive on and off the field," said Dr. Jerry Reynolds, associate professor of social work at Ball State and director of Coach Beyond-Indiana. "These free trainings give Indiana coaches easy access to the same evidence-based practices that have transformed programs nationwide. We are privileged to work with such amazing partners at The Ohio State University, the Susan Crown Exchange and others nationwide dedicated to the same cause."

Today's celebration of National Coaches Day also marks a major milestone for the Million Coaches Challenge, a national initiative led by the Susan Crown Exchange. Together with partners like Ball State, the challenge has now surpassed one million coaches trained in positive youth-development practices.

Ball State joined the effort in late 2024 as a result of OSU's efforts to expand partnership to additional states. Since then, the program helped hundreds of Indiana coaches and educators adopt methods that emphasize safety, inclusion, and belonging. Dr. Reynolds said the next goal is to train at least 200 more Indiana coaches by Oct. 20.

Coach Beyond-Indiana will continue its outreach through the Fall, building on events like its recent partnership with Indy Eleven, which provided free in-person training and game access for youth coaches across the state.

Schools and sports organizations interested in hosting in-person trainings can contact Dr. Reynolds at [email protected] or 765-285-1015.

"All Coach Beyond programs are free and designed to empower coaches to create positive, inclusive, and development-focused environments for young athletes," Dr. Reynolds said. "When we invest in coaches, we invest in kids, communities, and the future of sport."