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Ever wonder just exactly what a Sport Clips Haircuts Caravan is? Here’s what went down at the one in Houston this spring. 

The doors opened at 9:30am to reveal a group of friendly Sport Clips Team Members who were welcoming attendees to the event. Everyone was given a canvas tote bag just for showing up and then registered via a QR code onsite, which entered attendees for a chance to play games and win prizes. Plus – anyone currently in cosmetology school is entered for a chance to win a $2500 scholarship at the end of the day! 

The room filled up quickly, with more than 250 cosmetology students and their instructors, along with a handful of licensed stylists and barbers who were there to learn more about Sport Clips. 

The event started at 10:00am with a welcome from Houston Coaches, Kristen Bush and Tara Browning. There was a main stage that was easily visible from most of the room, but there were at least four dozen TVs mounted throughout the venue, so it was easy to see exactly what was happening on stage. Sport Clips specializes in services for men & boys, so men’s haircut education was the focus of the day. After giving everyone a rundown of the event Kristen and Terra then welcomed GIBS Grooming educator & barber/stylist, Dorothy-Anne Lacey to the stage. Dorothy-Anne performed her cut on a live model and educated the room on how to shape up longer, wavy hair, especially as more young men are wearing their hair longer. She showed how to trim while maintaining length and explained how to use Con Man by GIBS Grooming, a product specifically for curly/wavy hair. 

In addition to Dorothy-Anne, Caravan welcomed David Lowry from John Paul Mitchell Systems, who used a mannequin to educate everyone on the perfect head technique for fading. David explained how to rock the clippers along the curve of the head while using the edge of the clippers when trimming around the ear. He also explained how to visually check a super short cut by looking down the plane of the head to cross-check your work. He used Mitch Construction Paste and Reformer Texture Cream – stacking the products to get the perfect hold for his style. 

Last up were Sport Clips Artistic Team Members, Shloana Brewer & Mary-Jean Carino. They tag-teamed their education on stage, with Shloana working on a live model and Mary-Jean cutting a mannequin head. Shloana executed a bald fade, using clippers and a foil shaver while Mary-Jean cut a modern variation of a mullet. Shloana explained how using a foil shaver can help extend a haircut for four-to-five days and stated that using a blending comb can help smooth out transitions in the cut. Mary-Jean reminded attendees that when cutting hair, distance equals length, and how to pay attention to the movement of the hair to create weight for the style the client wants. They both spoke to the importance of educating clients about the products you use so the client walks away understanding what products are in their hair and leave feeling confident they can use them at home. 

Throughout the day there were breaks for fun games and giveaways, including everything from barber backpacks to clippers to trimmers to shear sets to Sport Clips swag and more. Snacks and drinks were provided during the mid-day break, and attendees were encouraged to visit the product partners including Gibs Grooming, Sexy Hair, Blacksmith Blades, STMNT, John Paul Mitchell and Direct Beauty Express (DBE). Just about everyone filled their canvas Sport Clips bags with freebies from the vendors. 
And finally, to end the day, Sport Clips gave away two $2,500 scholarships! One went to Katherine Penaloza from Paul Mitchell The School Houston and the other went to Daucia Kweta from Ogle School Willowbrook.  Both ladies were ecstatic and said the scholarship will allow them to pay off the final balances owed toward their cosmetology education. 

So now you know exactly what to expect at a Sport Clips Caravan. It’s a day full of education, mentorship, prizes, scholarships and fun! If you see a Caravan heading to your city, make plans to be there! 

The story of this Sport Clips Haircuts stylist may resonate with many of you and hers may unfortunately be your story as well. As you read more about her, keep in mind that one in five children in the U.S. is sexually abused before the Age of 18 and that one out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. With more than 13,000 team members across the country and the majority of stylists being women, Sport Clips made the commitment two years ago to develop and provide the most comprehensive package of support services for stylists of any hair care provider. One of those services is Saprea, a support organization for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Saprea’s mission is to liberate individuals and society from the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse through healing, prevention, and awareness initiatives, including retreats and online resources.

NOTE: Trigger warning – sexual abuse & trauma. The name of this Stylist has been changed.

Jane was just 17 when she was raped. Now, years later, she realized she never really dealt with the trauma of that horrible event. Jane has been a Sport Clips team member for more than a decade, and says she spent years repressing everything she felt until the trauma resurfaced for her after becoming a mom. Wanting to be the best mother for her children, she knew she had to seek help for the lingering effects of her trauma.

When Jane discovered the healing work of Saprea was available to her free of charge through Sport Clips, it became a turning point in her recovery, though it took time for her to see how the program could benefit her. Initially hesitant to discuss or relive her trauma, she eventually chose to attend a Saprea retreat after consulting with close family and friends.

She now says the Saprea retreat proved to be “the most unnerving and freeing experience” for her. At first, Jane struggled with whether she could go through with it, even experiencing a panic attack…throwing up and shaking from the fear of it all. After encouragement from her closest friend to stay at the retreat and heal, she found as the days went on it was easier to discuss her abuse and use some of the grounding techniques she learned while there. Jane found she was being challenged to face the things she feared most and learned to create new neural pathways in her brain.

For Jane, the most helpful takeaways from her experience were learning it’s okay to talk about your experiences and not feel responsible for how it might make others feel. She learned how neural pathways work and how to rewire those pathways so you don’t feel like you are stuck in your traumatic experience. She learned it is okay to step away from a situation, gather yourself, and ground your thoughts when you are feeling overwhelmed. And, she learned how to stay vigilant with her own children and how to identify any warning signs of possible abuse.

She encourages other Sport Clips team members to make use of the support systems the franchise provides. Jane shares that the Saprea retreat was a very healing experience, especially with the ongoing therapy and support classes Saprea offers. She knows taking the first steps in a healing journey can be extremely challenging, she’s been there, but she could not have found the same support anywhere else.

Since attending the Saprea retreat, Jane’s quality of life has improved immensely. The experience helped her become a better person, a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, and a better friend. She has the confidence to be who she truly is and can now recognize when others need support or extra love, because she was that person. For her, the journey has been a healing one…overcoming the fear to rise above the trauma. To learn more about Saprea, visit their website. If you are a Sport Clips Team Member looking to access services, please visit Saprea.org.