How Healthy Brains Nurture Well Performing Athletes

Jennifer Fraser began her love for sports as a child, playing soccer and baseball. But at the age of 10, she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, which severely affected her wrists and hands. This forced her to find new ways to stay active, turning to running, cross-country skiing, high-impact aerobics, and hiking—activities that limited the strain on her hands. Sports were always a refuge for her, but this personal shift became the first in a series of life-altering experiences that would shape her mission.

As a sports educator, Jennifer began encountering troubling stories from athletes who were being abused by a small but dangerous group of coaches. Many of these coaches were also certified teachers, which made the situation even more concerning. It became clear that the system for handling abuse in sports coaching was not just misguided—it was broken. This discovery, combined with Jennifer's academic background in comparative literature, propelled her to dive deep into the long-term effects of abuse in sports and how to bring about change.

Over the past decade, Jennifer’s research has led her to one undeniable conclusion: there needs to be better education for sports administrators, coaches, athletes, and sports parents about the brain science that underpins abusive behavior in sports coaching. It’s not just a moral failure when abuse happens—it’s a medical issue with deep-rooted consequences. 

Jennifer’s mission as a sports educator is to halt abuse, address it effectively when it does occur, shift from a moral to a medical model, rehabilitate those who use bullying practices (when possible), protect victims, and create a healthier, high-performance culture in sports coaching.

The Birth of "Bullied Brain"

Jennifer's company, "Bullied Brain," was born from this mission. The name symbolizes a form of bullying that we as a society often inflict upon ourselves: ignorance.

For too long, we have ignored two decades of neuroscientific research that could empower us to create safer environments, both in sports and beyond. This research informs everything I do—from my 2022 book The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health to the series I write for Psychology Today to my forthcoming book Shattered Brains: The Impact of Gaslighting on our Minds & Proven Ways to Stay Safe & Sane (coming in 2025).

At its core, her work as an educator is about teaching the sports world about the damaging effects of abuse on the brain, as well as the ways we can repair that damage. Her courses for sports administrators, sports coaches, and athletes focus on the brain’s remarkable ability to heal. The tough reality is that all forms of abuse, even those normalized by society, cause physical harm to brain architecture. But the empowering truth is that we can reverse this damage with brain-informed strategies. Jennifer’s courses—paired with workbooks and aligned with The Bullied Brain—equip learners to put this knowledge into practice.

A Neuro Paradigm Shift in Sports Coaching

The world of sports is uniquely positioned to lead a scientific revolution—one that focuses on brain health, not just physical performance. Take the example of Tom Brady, one of the most successful athletes of our time. When he was drafted 199th, no one recognized his potential because they were focused solely on his physical attributes. Yet, Brady’s success can be attributed largely to his brain. He trains his mind just as much as his body, using advanced brain training methods developed by renowned neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Dr. Merzenich has called my book The Bullied Brain “THE most completely scientifically thorough treatment of the subject on planet earth.”

Athletes like Brady—and Harry Kane, who also uses Dr. Merzenich’s brain-training methods—are showing the world that mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness. Jennifer’s content challenges the entrenched belief that abuse is a necessary evil for greatness in sports coaching. This is a falsehood. Abuse, in all its forms, damages the brain and limits an athlete’s potential. True greatness comes from training both the body and the brain in safe environments.

A Personal Connection

Jennifer's passion for this work is deeply personal. One moment she will always remember is with her teenage son, who was a talented athlete with a bright future in college basketball. After several teammates reported abuse from their coaches, her son revealed that his only goal as a 16-year-old player was “not to let them break me.” Those words are seared into her brain and solidified her resolve to make a change in the sports coaching world.

“It’s an international crisis, and it’s time we stop using sports as an excuse for abuse.”

On June 20, 2024, Canada’s Safe Sport report was published. I had the privilege of speaking to two different assemblies of parliamentarians in our nation’s capital and was quoted in the report, highlighting the harm that abuse does to athletes’ brains. This recognition by lawmakers is a historic step forward. It shows that we are finally acknowledging the urgent need for change in sports coaching, and I’m proud to be part of this shift.

The Path Forward

Sports coaching has the power to make a lasting impact on the lives of young athletes. Understanding the adolescent brain, which undergoes intense developmental changes from ages 13 to 24, is crucial for fostering safe, high-performance environments. She is now developing a course on adolescent brain development to help coaches, athletes, and parents better navigate this critical period in youth sports.

As Jennifer’s work continues to evolve, I remain driven by a simple yet powerful truth: hurt brains hurt. If a brain has been damaged—whether by bullying, abuse, or neglect—it can’t reach its full potential. But when a brain is healthy, safe, and nurtured, its capacity for greatness is limitless.

It’s time we rethink our approach to sports coaching and brain health. We need to move beyond outdated models that prioritize physical toughness at the expense of mental well-being. With 20 years of peer-reviewed, replicated research at our disposal, we have everything we need to create a new neuroparadigm—one that values safety, performance, and the incredible potential of the human brain.

Sport can be the game-changer. Let’s make sure it’s a force for good.

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