Play Saves Lives: How Kids Life Coaching Builds Hope and Resilience

Play Saves Lives: A Personal Call on World Suicide Prevention Day

Behind every statistic on youth suicide is a child who needed hope, connection, and support. This is not abstract for me. I have lost two family members to suicide, and a friend in primary school. I know the pain, the questions, and the guilt that can follow and I also know that prevention begins long before a crisis.

As professionals working with children, we have the power to make a difference. Research in neuroscience and behaviour shows that when children develop resilience pathways in the brain, they are better equipped to cope with stress, recover from setbacks, and reach out for help when needed. One of the most powerful ways to build these pathways?

Play.

Play is not just a fun thing we do with the children we coach. It’s how children process the world, understand themselves, and form connections with others. Through play, they practice coping skills, build confidence, and discover that the world can be a safe place.

This Wednesday, 10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day and I want to invite you to join me in exploring how we can harness the science of the brain, the power of human connection, and the natural language of children — play — to give kids the tools they need to survive, thrive, and hope.

My Play Saves Lives masterclass is not about theory. It’s about action: understanding how the brain responds to stress, how to nurture resilience, and how small, intentional moments of connection can change the trajectory of a child’s life.

I cannot undo the losses I have suffered with the loss of my own family members, but together we can ensure fewer children face the same loneliness, fear, and despair. On World Suicide Prevention Day, let’s commit as Play Based Coaches, to show up, to listen, to connect, and to lead with heart. Every child deserves to know that someone sees them, believes in them, and is willing to stand for them. That person could be you...