End Gender
Violence
Gender-based violence doesn't start with a single act.
It starts with the silence of teammates who don't say anything, a culture that normalizes harmful language, and the moment a bystander looks away.
Huddle Up is built on the belief that changing that silence is a leadership responsibility.
Backed by more than four decades of experience in professional, college, and high school sport, we have developed and refined one of the most field-tested approaches to gender-based violence prevention in athletics. Thousands of training sessions later, we understand not just what to teach, but how to make it land with the audiences that need it most.
Our sessions challenge athletes, coaches, and staff to understand and address the full continuum of abusive behaviors. Participants are empowered to recognize the links between misogynistic language, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence. They learn how it takes root in team culture, and develop the concrete skills to interrupt it — as leaders, teammates, and bystanders.
This isn't compliance training. It's a drive for culture change.
Huddle Up is that culture change.
Training Topics
The foundation of all Huddle Up trainings is leadership — challenging participants to step up, especially in difficult social situations. This foundational thread is woven into all Huddle Up trainings. Participants will also understand bystander intervention as a tangible strategy to operationalize their leadership. While we curate training sessions based on the needs of each organization, here's a preview of our most popular training options.
Healthy vs. Abusive Relationships
What does a healthy relationship look like? What are examples of emotional abuse in an intimate relationship?
See MoreHow would you support or challenge someone who is in an abusive relationship - as either a victim or a perpetrator? Participants grapple with questions like these as they engage in a real conversation about the full spectrum of healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics. They will explore examples of each to learn to identify warning signs, with close attention to the patterns of control, manipulation, and isolation that define abusive situations. Participants leave with a clearer lens for recognizing these dynamics and concrete skills for preventing or interrupting abusive situations involving teammates, colleagues, or friends.
See LessGender Roles & Destructive Behavior
This session starts with a grounding in personal values — who participants want to be and how they want to live. Following this affirmative discussion, learners will be asked to share the social and personal obstacles they feel can sidetrack them from living their values.
See MoreThe session will challenge participants to examine rigid gender norms - what it means to be a “real man” or “real woman.” They will explore how those cultural expectations can pull people away from living authentically, and how those same norms create the conditions for destructive behavior. We will consider how those mainstream messages impact their interactions with people in social settings. Participants develop action plans for showing up in alignment with their actual values, not the ones the culture assigns them.
See LessSexism in Sport Organizations
Designed for staff and coaches
Sexism provides the larger context for all discussions about gender-based violence. This session highlights the challenges many sport organizations are facing as they bring more women into their culture.
See MoreSport cultures have historically been male-dominated and 21st Century sport workplaces need to proactively evolve their culture as opposed to asking women to assimilate into a community built for men. This session engages learners in discussion regarding the impact sexist jokes, language, and misogynistic behaviors have on their workplace culture - especially for women. Understanding the cascading negative impact this behavior has on a team's goals empowers participants to show up differently in these situations moving forward. The session will conclude with workplace scenarios involving sexist behaviors and allows participants to develop an action plan to address this type of situation.
See LessSexual Respect
This session deals "head on" with the issue of sexual behavior, sexual consent, and what sexual respect looks like in context. Huddle Up facilitators will discuss the issues surrounding alcohol and sexual consent.
See MoreThis is a highly realistic and common dynamic in which many people have been participants, observers, or possibly survivors of assault. This session will examine the dangers and consequences of abusing alcohol and other drugs as they relate to sexual decision-making along with how gendered expectations regarding sex can add a problematic layer. By emphasizing the importance of clear and effective communication, learners are challenged to focus on the options available to them and the responsibilities of all parties involved.
See LessSexual Harassment & Power of Language
Understanding the full continuum of abusive behaviors, and how they work together to create a toxic environment, is a critical first layer of knowledge for people to take any gender violence issues seriously.
See MoreIn this session participants will discuss how demeaning and objectifying language creates a foundation for harassing and abusive behavior. Facilitators will center sexually harassing behavior as a lens to view the power of language, the danger of normalizing abusive behavior, and how acts of physical violence start with the silence of friends and teammates. The learners will also consider a scenario where they witness their peers engaging in sexual harassment and determine a range of strategies for addressing this behavior.
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Learn More About Our
Impact with Our Partners!
Domestic Violence
Education with
NBA Teams
Basketball
Operations
See More The Problem:
Many NBA teams identified the need to address domestic and sexual violence education and awareness with their players, coaches, and basketball operations staff through consistent, high-quality training tailored to their environment.
The Solution:
Our team worked directly with NBA teams to develop and deliver specialized training sessions that are relevant to professional athletes and staff. We adjust the content and delivery style to meet each team's culture and needs.
Annual Domestic Violence/
Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Training for
MLB
See More The Problem:
Most pro-sport leagues recognized the problem of domestic and sexual violence and have had annual education and awareness training mandates in place for over a decade. MLB requires that everyone at a club receives annual domestic violence and sexual assault prevention training.
The Solution:
Our team, a diverse group of former athletes, have created and delivered specialized training for players, coaches and staff members for several MLB teams annually since 2005. We adjust the content and delivery style seasonally to keep the content fresh for learners year over year. Huddle Up trainers travel to spring training sites to train players, coaches and baseball operations staff; and conduct training with front office staff at a later date.