JEDI Training for Youth Athletes
Sport Psychology work with youth athletes presents a uniquely challenging but immensely powerful opportunity. The youth developmental period is an important landscape for experiencing, learning, and internalizing, shifting the Sport Psychology interaction in a multifaceted direction.
Unfortunately, social justice issues are becoming more pervasive in youth sports. Compounding off this, mental skills involving justice and diversity are neglected in positive youth development models. This is a call to action for Sport Psychology professionals, physical educators, and coaches to incorporate social justice-oriented dialogue into their practices.
Windham et al. (2025) article titled “Jedi Training for Youth Athletes” seeks to review the importance of social justice conversations during this youth developmental period, purposing six interactive activities designed to cultivate cultural humility, and discusses potential issues for youth sport practitioners when fulfilling this work with youth athletes.
JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) training for youth athletes stems from the increasing prevalence of social justice issues in the sports world. Lets look at the numbers:
Since 2020, over 33% of transgender youth between 13-17 years in the US across 25 states have been impacted by regulations banning transgender youth athletes in sport.
85% of transgender youth reported negative mental health implications from these rule and regulation changes.
52% of transgender youth have considered suicide.
Youth sports presents a powerful community to support educational opportunities to cultivate social justice skills. As a Sport Psychology practitioners, it is our job to facilitate positive outcomes for our athletes, physically, emotionally, developmentally, and athletically.
How?
The authors purpose a six step JEDI training program through fun and engaging activities to help athletes boost their social justice skills.
First, Portrait of a Padawan has athletes draw images which represent their identities.
Second, The JEDI Code defines diversity, inclusion, justice, equality, and equity using Star Wars themed imagery.
Third, Use the Force allows athletes to identify social justice issues and oppression within sports while supporting them to share their own experiences.
Fourth, Build your SABER inspires youth athletes to flesh out their own ways to advocate.
Fifth, The JEDI Trials targets bullying bystander intervention to utilize their training in real life scenarios.
Sixth, The Lightsaber Ceremony rewards youth athletes for their effort and participation.
This JEDI training does not reflect mainstream applied Sport Psychology practices. However, the activities align with conventional concepts of cohesion, confidence, self-efficacy, and self-determination through a unique application of Star Wars themed dialogue. Moreover, it helps teach our next generation the importance of empathy through a lifelong learning process, empowering our youth to navigate the challenges of life more successfully.
TLDR, what does this mean for you? Sport Psychology, specifically when working with youth athletes, represents more than maximizing athletic outcomes. As practitioners, it is our duty to help develop our youth holistically through the core values of respect, integrity, and diversity (AASP, 2025). JEDI training represents a fun and engaging Star Wars themed forum to introduce our youth to the importance of cultural humility.
Association for Applied Sport Psychology. (2025). Mission & Values. https://appliedsportpsych.org/about-the-association-for-applied-sport-psychology/mission-vision/
Windham, A., Bejar, M. P., Stickell, S., Shah, D., & Siebert, E. A. (2025). JEDI Training for Youth Athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2025.2478915