Broadly speaking, social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, and related skills, attitudes, behaviors, and values that help direct students. This includes thoughts, feelings, and actions in ways that enable them to succeed in school. However, SEL has been defined in a variety of ways (Ashkanasy & Humphrey, 2011). One organization which has developed a plethora of resources is the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Expanding upon the definition, we may also include that SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (CASEL, 2019).

SEL describes the active process whereby children attain and apply knowledge, skills and attitudes that are vital to achieving positive developmental outcomes across the life course, including self and social awareness, emotional awareness and regulation, empathy for others, goal setting, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions (CASEL), 2023; Mahoney et al., 2021). It is often used as an umbrella term to represent a wide array of cognitive, social, and emotional skills, with more than 40 distinct SEL frameworks, capturing over 100 common and interrelated skills (Jones et al., 2019).

Building psychological, cognitive, social, and emotional skills are largely ignored, yet these are essential ingredients for successful high-performance athletes, particularly for our developing athletes (Bailey, 2012).

School wide SEL is a systemic approach to integrating academic, social, and emotional learning across all school contexts. This approach provides a learning environment that infuses SEL into all aspects of instruction and promotes equitable outcomes for all students. When we fully implement a school wide approach, we can use the following indicators to guide this process. These indicators include our classrooms, schools, families, and communities. They feature such tenets as:

• Explicit SEL Instruction
• Sel Integrated with Academics
• Youth Voice and Engagement
• Supportive School and Classrooms
• Focus on Adult SEL
• Supportive Discipline
• A Continuum of Integrated Supports
• Authentic Family Partnerships
• Aligned Community Partners
• Systems for Continuous Improvement

CASEL provides us with five core competencies that describe SEL. These are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2019). The assets promoted within SEL have the potential to enhance positive development for all youth, and the goal of universal school-based approaches is to reach all students (Taylor et al, 2021, p. 1159). In recent years, a systematic review of 25 Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs was investigated to determine benefits and scope within school settings. The results determined that these interventions and programs operating within family, school, and community settings are indeed effective in promoting positive development. In addition, it was also revealed that the interventions were successful in improving youth‘s ability to regulate emotions, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, the quality of their relationships with peers and adults, as well as improved commitment to schooling (Taylor et al., 2021).

Bridging Social-Emotional Learning and Sport

Much of the current and historical work of SEL has been developed within the field of education. We can substitute the words of “student” with “athlete” and apply these same principles that we experience in a classroom to hockey players (Harber, 2019). What we have gained through the importance of teaching about SEL is that we can empower our athletes to consider what is beneficial about self-awareness and how do our actions impact those around us.  Cam Squires and Marcus Kearsey earlier explained that giving back to the community, mentoring youth and being aware of personal impact within the hockey community is monumental. Additionally, Harber (2019) explains that using SEL tenets can help teams prescribe a culture for the season by asking themselves “Who are we and what do we want to do this season? “. Having players co-create and develop strategies for actions and consequences. Encouraging players to “check-in” with each other after practices and games to reflect upon success or challenges and finally respect everyone on the team, regardless of ability.

The effectiveness of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs on child outcomes has been firmly established through student self-reporting, teacher and caregiver questionnaires, and direct assessment via performance tasks (Blewitt et al., 2024). Exploring the extent to which SEL programs can influence child development and growth may enable teachers and coaches to examine the overall impact of how can assist students. This can be useful when designing team activities and managing behaviour in the dressing room or on the ice.

If we investigate further, research informs this practice by making these important connections to behaviour and self-regulation actions. Increasingly, SEL scholars are looking to the biopsychosocial nature of human development to conceptualize and explore how social and emotional competencies that are targeted through SEL intervention may relate to health processes and outcomes (Immordino-Yang et al., 2019). This relationship can potentially aid our players, coaches, and parents to understand the lifelong impact of SEL and how it can positively relate to young athletes.

To summarize, the importance of intentional and explicit focus on both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills and attitudes within early learning and school settings is widely acknowledged. SEL programming and activities can empower children to become self-aware, manage emotions, build communication skills, and much more. As well, there is strong evidence for the impact of SEL programs on social, emotional, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes based on self and informant reports and direct assessment of performance tasks (Durlak et al., 2022). The social and emotional skills that develop during childhood are associated with mental and physical health across the life course. However, the mechanisms that underpin the relationship between SEL intervention and health are less evident. Recent progress in neuroscience, neurobiology, epigenetics, and physiology have strengthened understanding of how experiences and interactions shape children’s developing biological systems, including their cardiovascular, brain, immune and endocrine health (Biglan et al., 2012).