Check Out Our Book!
CHECK OUT OUR BOOK: Playing for the City, available here on amazon.com. This book explores the direct application of community development principles to the sports world, and features work and stories from our own community as well as other cities across the country. Our upcoming book, Coaching Tomorrow's Leaders, is slated for publication in late 2027. Stay tuned!
The Midian Leadership Project participates in ongoing research on the power of sports for trauma-healing and leadership development in urban youth and young adults. Midian's coaches have presented research and conducted trainings in university, conference, nonprofit, and international development settings. Contact Us to learn more about bringing Midian's research to your context.
Baltimore
Mae Sariang, Thailand
Grand Rapids
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Dallas
Plenty of athletes can tell us that a coach became a trusted mentor, that their experiences on the field helped them overcome life obstacles, that sports helped them manage their anger, or that their leadership was affirmed through sports in ways that didn't happen elsewhere. Midian is on the cutting edge understanding the science and strategies behind harnessing this power.
This exciting, interdisciplinary research blends sports psychology, education research, and the neurobiology of trauma healing to explore the ways in which athletes, parents, coaches, and other mentors can partner to promote healing from trauma and toxic stress, encourage connection with peers and community, and develop leadership that will transform community dynamics.
This research is culturally contextualized to the experiences of athletes in urban America, addressing issues such as the effects of the school-to-prison pipeline, interpersonal violence, peacebuilding, and leadership for social change.
Midian is currently working to implement a two-year research grant through the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington that will further this research through work with local school and community sports teams.