That’s probably an interesting opening line for an ask from an organization that is focused on using sports to inspire at-risk youth. But just ask Coach Ruby. As a Corporal in the Marine Corps, Ruby served our nation through three separate deployments to Iraq. When she returned, she searched for a way to translate her service and love-of-country abroad to service and love-of-country here at home. Up2Us Sports hired and trained Ruby as a soccer coach for at-risk girls in South Florida. To these girls, she ranks higher than a Corporal. She is their role model and inspiration.
This year, Up2Us Sports is seeking to hire over 50 veterans to be coaches for at-risk youth. Why? Because veterans embody the values of leadership, teamwork, and discipline that are the ingredients of success for this nation’s youth. And our nation desperately needs more caring adults, like veterans, to step up and be life skills coaches for our young people.
The mission of Up2Us Sports is to help all youth achieve their potential by providing them coaches trained in positive youth development. We accomplish our mission by identifying adults who want to use their passion for sports to help kids. We then train these adults in child development and support them as coaches in inner-city communities across the nation. For the coaches, Up2Us Sports is an opportunity to give back to their communities and to develop skills that help them succeed as future leaders. For the youth, Up2Us Sports is the chance to have a “coach”—someone who uniquely cares about them…someone who believes that they are capable of achieving any dream and overcoming any obstacle.
Did a coach once inspire you to achieve success or overcome hurdles in your own life? In honor of that coach, please help me hire a veteran. No donation is too small – every dollar will be used to inspire a child in this country.
On behalf of all of us at Up2Us Sports, I wish you the best holiday season and a joyous new year. Thanks for your generosity,
Paul Caccamo
Founder & CEO
