Bounce Back ← The Centre
Grades 1–8

They can make the shot. Can they handle missing it?

A six-week programme that teaches kids to name what they're feeling, reset after a mistake, and stay in the game. Trauma-informed, CASEL-aligned, and designed by a Registered Social Worker.

Join the winter cohort → Clubs & schools
The programme at a glance
6
Weeks
1hr
Per week
8–10
Children per group
1–8
Grades
01Why it exists

Nobody teaches kids what to do with feelings.

A child sitting alone against the wall of an empty gym.

They're told to shake it off, calm down, or focus up — without ever being shown how. So the frustration comes out sideways: the slammed ball, the shut-down silence, the kid who stops trying so they can't fail.

You can teach it, the same way you teach a jump shot: badly at first, then better. And it lands fastest somewhere a kid already cares about getting good.

Who it's for

Bounce Back is built for the kid who…

  • Gets anxious before games, tryouts or tests
  • Falls apart after a mistake and can't recover
  • Shuts down when corrected, or has outbursts
  • Won't try in case they fail
  • Struggles with peer conflict or feeling left out
  • Holds it together at school, then melts down at home
Good to know

No diagnosis required. No basketball experience required. Grades 1–8, with two separate curricula — grades 1–5 and grades 6–8 — so the language matches the age.

Grounded in

CASEL social and emotional learning, trauma-informed practice, and child development research — translated into movement, repetition, and real coaching moments by a Registered Social Worker.

02The skill underneath

What emotional regulation actually means.

The ability to notice what you're feeling, stay steady enough to think, and choose what you do next — instead of being run by the feeling.

What it is
  • Noticing a feeling before it takes over
  • Having something to do about it — a breath, a reset, a word
  • Coming back after being knocked off course
What it is not
  • Being calm all the time
  • Hiding or swallowing what you feel
  • Being quiet, easy or compliant
Across a lifetime

The skill you use every day, for the rest of your life.

The situations change. The skill doesn't.

Follow the skill across a lifetime — select an age.

Sitting through a lesson, sharing, losing a game without falling apart, making and keeping friends.

Regulation is a skill, not a trait.

It is built through repeated practice alongside calm, responsive adults — which is exactly what a six-week cohort is designed to provide.

03How each session works

One hour. Five parts. Every week.

Two players driving to the basket, caught mid-motion.
Basketball is the vehicle. The skill is what they keep.
  1. 01

    Check-in

    Naming feelings and noticing body cues, before a ball is touched.

  2. 02

    Warm-up

    Basketball drills tied directly to the week’s emotional skill.

  3. 03

    Play

    Real game play, with the coaching embedded in the moment.

  4. 04

    Cool-down

    Journaling and peer sharing to put language on what just happened.

  5. 05

    Closing circle

    One strategy to keep, and one prompt to take home.

What it looks like

Real drills, not worksheets.

Grades 1–5
Week 1 · Big feelings on the court

Feelings Dribble — dribble to emotion stations, name the feeling, act out the body cue.

Feelings are normal. Your body gives you clues.

Week 2 · Trying again

Miss & Reset Drill — miss a shot, name the feeling, retry with a coping breath.

Frustration is a signal, not a stop sign.

Weeks 3–6 continue with Confidence in Motion, Cooling Down, Friends on the Court, and Team Celebration & Gratitude.

Grades 6–8
Week 1 · Awareness in action

Emotion Mapping — identify where stress and excitement live in the body, and link that to performance.

Knowing your state is the first step to changing it.

Week 2 · Reset after frustration

3-Second Reset Drill — build a personal reset routine using a breath, a word, and an action.

Everyone needs a way back. This is yours.

Weeks 3–6 continue with Confidence & Growth Mindset, Intensity vs. Anger, Teamwork & Leadership, and Tournament & Gratitude.

04Programme impact

What changes in six weeks.

Same kid. New skills for the moment it gets hard.

What you see nowAfter six weeks
Melts down after a mistake→Names the feeling and retries
Can't say what's wrong→Identifies 3–5 emotions and a body cue
Freezes or explodes under pressure→Uses 2–3 coping strategies
Pulls away from the group→Engages positively with peers
“I'm bad at this”→Confidence through positive self-talk
Feels alone in it→Feels connected to the group
What families receive
Caregiver toolkit
A take-home resource so you can use the same language at home.
Pre & post assessment
Every participant, so progress is measured rather than guessed.
Clinical oversight
Two trained youth coaches, supervised by a Registered Social Worker.
05What's next

Winter programmes are in development.

We are building the winter schedule now. Dates, locations and fees are still being confirmed. The shape of a cohort does not change: six weeks, one hour a week, in schools, clubs and community spaces, with separate curricula for grades 1–5 and 6–8.

Be the first to know

Join the waitlist and you will hear before the programme is announced publicly — no payment, no commitment. When fees are set we will also tell you about the Canadian Tire Jumpstart grants that can cover them for eligible families.

Registration

Join the waitlist

For families registering a child. No payment now — we'll be in touch with details. Booking for a school or club instead? Go to schools & clubs →

06Questions

The things parents ask first.

Is this therapy?
No. Bounce Back is a group skill-building programme, not clinical treatment. It's designed and supervised by a Registered Social Worker, but there are no assessments, diagnoses, or clinical records. If something comes up that needs more support, we'll tell you and help you find it.
Does my child need to be good at basketball?
Not at all. Basketball is the vehicle, not the point. The drills are simple by design so that no child is managing a skill gap and a feeling at the same time. Kids who have never played are welcome and do well.
My kid is shy. Will they be put on the spot?
No child is ever forced to share. Participation in circles is invited, never required, and plenty of the learning happens through movement rather than talking. Quiet kids often surprise their parents by week three.
Who is actually running the sessions?
Two trained youth coaches deliver each session, with clinical oversight from a Registered Social Worker who designed the curriculum. Every facilitator completes programme training before the first week.
What if we miss a week?
The programme builds week to week, so we ask families to commit to all six if they can. Missing one session isn't a problem — we'll send the take-home prompt and catch your child up at the start of the next one.
How will I know if it worked?
Every child completes a short pre and post assessment, and families receive a caregiver toolkit with the same language we use in sessions, so you can hear it at home. Groups also close with a summary of what the cohort worked on.
What if the cost is a barrier?
Ask us. Canadian Tire Jumpstart individual child grants can cover programme fees for families who qualify, and we'll help with the application. Cost shouldn't decide whether a kid gets this.
07Clubs & partners

Your players already trust you.

Let's build the rest together.

Kids don't leave sport because of the game. They leave because of the experience. Bounce Back gives your club a clinical layer without adding to your coaches' workload.

You bring three things. We bring the rest.

You bring
  • The gym and a time slot
  • Families who already trust your programme
  • Coaches who know these kids
We bring
  • RSW-designed curriculum and trained facilitators
  • Registration, assessments and caregiver toolkits
  • Every hour of delivery, so nothing lands on your staff
01Host a cohort Run Bounce Back at your gym as an add-on your families register for.
02Train your coaches The Emotionally Intelligent Coach, delivered to your whole staff.
03Co-brand a cohort A girls' cohort or a rep-team cohort, run under both our names.
04Referral partner A clear path for the families in your club who need more support.
Schools & funders

We handle everything — but never leave your staff out.

Funding partners can support a single cohort, a multi-site pilot, or a full school year in priority communities.

The distinction that matters

Psychoeducational, not therapeutic.

It teaches skills and language, not treatment — so any staff member can reinforce it afterwards without clinical training, and nothing lands on a student record.

Pre-planning session
We meet your team first to align goals, scheduling and the kids who'd benefit most.
Delivery on site
Six weekly sessions run by trained facilitators, with clinical oversight.
Staff debrief
An end-of-programme session, plus a one-page summary they can use in the classroom.
Topics covered
  • Naming feelings and noticing body cues
  • The window of tolerance — and how to widen it
  • Recovering from a mistake in real time
  • Pressure, perfectionism and identity
  • Conflict with teammates, coaches and peers

Want the full curriculum, a sample session plan, or pricing? Contact us to learn more →

Enquiry

Tell us about your club, school or organisation

We reply within two business days.